You Had Me At Hello
by Lindorie- Chan
Summary: “Naturally,” Remus said rolling his eyes as he stood “Nice to meet you Nymphadora,” giving her that lopsided grin again and following Sirius. “It’s Tonks!” She called at his retreating back. 'Remus John Lupin, You Had Me At Hello' Tonks thought.
1. Chapter 1

You Had Me at Hello

Summary:

"Naturally," Remus said rolling his eyes as he stood "Nice to meet you Nymphadora," giving her that lopsided grin again and following Sirius.

"It's Tonks!"She called at his retreating back

As Tonks watched him leave she felt a strange warmness from inside the pit of her stomach as shed watched his retreating back.

Remus John Lupin, you had me at Hello.

**Well I thought Id give one of these a try to be honest, this is my first HP one I've written because I've been writing the same one for the last two years aha. So yeah, here goes :**

* * *

Bugger.

Nymphadora thought, she had just Apparated into a puddle, she shook off the excess water from her boots. She marched onwards towards a distant building shrouded in darkness; the only thing that was visible was the dimly lit windows and the small sign hanging just above the door with a picture of a Hogs Head pictured in the middle.

She marched towards the Hogs Head; crisp summer night air brushed against her face, and wisped through her pink spikes. She looked down and checked her watch;

I'm late!

Her mind screamed at her as she picked up her pace. She reached the door to the small dilapidated pub; Tonks took a deep breath and pushed open the door. She looked around, there behind the bar with long grey hair stood a wizard who was wiping a glass with a dirty rag; he looked up as Nymphadora entered, as he cast his eyes over her his expression mingled with confusion and amusement when his eyes reached the top of her head. She was used to this being a metamorphmagus; he down cast his expression and turned away from her. She looked around further, there was a gaggle of old witches huddled in a corner whispering and a small looking creature or wizard; she couldn't quite make out which was apparently asleep under his or its travelling cloak.

Tonks looked into the furthest corner, there sat a man with dirty blonde hair, chunks missing from his face and nose and magical eye whizzing madly in all directions in its socket. Next to him sat an older looking man with a long beard and hair. He was wearing midnight blue robes and greeted her with a welcoming smile as she approached their table.

"Professor," She said smiling at him

"Albus, this is one of the most talented Aurors from the ministry. My young protégée, Nymphadora Tonks," Mad Eye said nodding to her

"Don't call me Nymphadora! Its Tonks, you know that!" Tonks hissed the tip of her hair turning bright red while Dumbledore merely chuckled with what Tonks could only assume was delight.

"Well Nymphadora," Mad Eye continued as though he hadn't heard her. She scowled and Dumbledore looked delighted. "Dumbledore has asked me to recommend witches and wizards to join the Order of the Phoenix; so being the only bright young Auror I've seen in years, you were first on the list."

"I...wow..." She stuttered stupidly

Her mother had long told her stories of the secret Anti Voldemort faction, but she thought herself to young clumsy and definitely too stupid to join but it appeared she was wrong.

"Yes I remember your Hogwarts days, always the most gifted in your classes, especially in Transfiguration, "Dumbledore smiled giving her a small wink to which she grinned. "I would be truly honoured if you'd consent to join us in our fight against Voldemort."

"I..." she stuttered again, unsure of what to say.

I'm making a complete fool of myself!

She thought, annoyed at her own stupidity.

"I understand if you need to think about this, Nymphadora."

"No, I want to join,"

Had fallen out of her own mouth before she could stop it. Her mother had never wanted her to join; she always told her daughter the horrors of being a part of the resistance faction to Voldemort and his supporters. Andromeda had wanted nothing to do with these factions so as to keep her daughter and husband safe from her Voldemort supporting sisters. She had always told Tonks when she was younger, that the danger of joining such groups is if you become attached to people or even worse fall for someone you're in the faction with and then to loose them is the worst pain, and here she was not even thinking, but she wanted to join, to help and save people from anymore pain and suffering, she was old enough to take care of herself now and didn't need her mother's permission.

"Excellent! Our first meeting is on Monday evening, Mad Eye will fill you in on more of the details when I arrange where and exactly what time." He got up to leave, as he did so he nodded to Moody. "I'll look forward to seeing you then Nymphadora, I mean, Tonks." He said with a small smile. He walked around the table and out of the small pub without a backwards glance leaving Nymphadora Tonks standing by Mad Eye Moody feeling quite bemused.

She walked into a long supposedly muggle street called 'Grimmauld Place'. Tonks walked until she reached a gap between numbers eleven and thirteen, she reached out into her pocket and pulled a small folded piece of parchment that read "The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London' as the last word was read a small rumbling noise started, quite unnoticed by any of the muggles in their respective houses. When Tonks looked up Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place had slid into view between number eleven and thirteen, she approached the door and knocked twice. Within seconds the door had opened and a small plump woman was standing before her.

"Wotcher," Tonks said smiling at the plump woman

"Good evening," She replied

"Nymphadora Tonks, Dumbledore asked me to come here for a meeting of the Or-"

"Yes yes! Don't say it aloud around here; you never know whose listening. Come in," She said motioning to Tonks to step over the threshold "We mustn't make too much noise in the hallway, we don't want to wake anything else up."

As Tonks stepped inside

That sounds vaguely ominous, Tonks thought as she followed the plump woman along a narrow hallway to a door at the end. The woman smiled at her and opened the door, and Tonks followed her inside.

When she stepped into the room, which she now saw was a kitchen; there were hoards of witches and wizards standing around or some even sitting at the long wooden table in the middle. She felt slightly out of place as she moved among them towards the long wooden table in the middle, she pulled out a chair and sat down. Tonks gazed around the room gobsmacked at all the different people that filled the room.

I shouldn't be here

She thought bitterly. They all looked so much older, wiser and more experienced where she was just a young clumsy Auror who had only got her licence a year previously.

"Sickle for your thoughts?" A kind voice said to her left

She looked up and there stood a man that had greying hair, scars on his face

and a lopsided grin.

"Oh nothing really," Tonks said shrugging as the man sat down

"Shame, I thought it would have been quite amusing due to your dazed

expression just a second ago," he smiled again

"And you are?" She asked rather more forcefully than she had intended but the lopsided grin never faded from his face

"Remus John Lupin," He said "And YOU are?"

"Nymphadora Tonks, but please just call me Tonks." She said hastily before he could speak "I hate Nymphadora,"

"Well hello Nymphadora!" He sniggered

She scowled "Oh yes, how amusing you are,"

"My apologies," He said holding up his hands in defence.

How cute, she thought and smiled to herself. He smiled too and for moment everything stopped and it was just the two of the grinning like idiots.

"Well Mooney, see you've met my little cousin?" Said a voice, with bark like laugh just after

They both jumped and looked up at the man standing before them with a stupid grin on his face, Sirius Black. Sirius gave his usual bark like laugh while

Tonks gazed at Remus. He was so calm and always gave off a certain aura of being at peace with everything, and also the hint of being slightly sneekish and playful with his lop sided grin. Of course, she thought this was Remus, Mooney, long time friend and fellow Marauder of her cousin Sirius Black.

"Molly wants to talk to us both about what we should tell the kids when they get here," He announced

"Why, me too?" Lupin said looking puzzled

"Because you're the responsible one," He said grinning "And also I think it's because you didn't just spend twelve years in Azkaban, plus I have the tendency to let things slip that aren't supposed to be heard by young ears," He said still grinning, even though Tonks thought he looked a little devious at the end of his sentence. Sirius nodded to Tonks and disappeared back through the crowd.

"Naturally," Remus said rolling his eyes as he stood "Nice to meet you Nymphadora," giving her that lopsided grin again and following Sirius.

"It's Tonks!"She called at his retreating back

As Tonks watched him leave she felt a strange warmness from inside the pit of her stomach as shed watched his retreating back.

Remus John Lupin, you had me at Hello.

She thought and shook her head violently to get rid of the thought when she felt a smile appeared on her lips as Dumbledore stood at the end of the table and called order and everyone took their seats.

* * *

**Well I hope that wasnt so bad / please review so Ill write more : aha**

**xx**


	2. Chapter 2

You Had Me at Hello

**Thanks to everyone for the wonderful reviews : they really did make me smile and now I've started writing this I really can't stop so aha.**

* * *

Tonks held her wand aloft walking through the darkness that surrounded her in the empty corridor; she heard a slight movement behind her and pulled the Invisibility Cloak she had borrowed from Mad Eye over her.

"Nox," She whispered and stood in the darkness, waiting and watching for any signs of life.

She looked ahead and saw a small beam of light round the corner at the tip of a wand before its master appeared. Tonks was blinded by the beam and couldn't see the owner of the wand until he was almost level with her. She suppressed a small gasp and watched as a cloaked and masked man approached the door with interest. He stood with his wand pressed close to the door; he reached out a gloved hand and placed it in the middle of the door. Nothing happened. The figure then turned and held the wand aloft so that the whole corridor was eliminated.

"Who's down here?!" Called a deep voice from the direction of the lift

"Nox," Whispered the man as the other beam of light grew closer.

Another bright beam of light eluminated the corridor again and Tonks stood staring at the unmasked and uncloaked man that now was thrown into full relief of the light. Shoulder length blond hair, with a cruel twisted expression, his wand still held aloft his hand un-gloved. Tonks rush of hatred shocked even her when she saw Lucius Malfoy standing before her staring at the owner of the second wand that was still eliminated shining down the dark corridor.

"Pardon me, I must have gotten out on the wrong floor, after all it is pitch black all over the Ministry tonight," He sneered smirking

Yeah, your doing I don't doubt.

Tonks thought, her face screwing up in anger. She hated the man that stood before her, her uncle if you like, though she had never and would never call him that. She was not part of that family, and never would she want to be; they all believed in and supported Voldemort's views on muggle borns, mudbloods as they called them, which was a word dirtier and more foul than any, swear word in existence. She didn't need or want them, of course they may all be related by blood that could never change but she would never consider them family, her aunts and the entire Black line, bar Sirius of course since he was an outcast for being decent, brave and open minded himself; disowned Andromeda when she had fallen for Ted Tonks a muggle, not a pure blooded wizard like they had hoped and wished. But as her and her mother before her had learnt the world would be a better place without wizards and witches like this in existence, that was why she Tonks had never needed more family than her mother and father because through all of what they had overcome together they were like aunts, uncles, cousins, distant relatives combined into one, they were perfect and all she ever needed.

But as she had found recently, as her mother had once told her, since joining the Order it was like joining a family, a group of people that cared greatly for each other, were always worried when something terrible happened and some of the Order were involved, always greeted each other with a smile and warm welcome. And of course she had a part of her own family in this group of amazing witches and wizards, Sirius. And she was grateful to have him there at her side when she looked around at these people, like the huge family they had never had.

Tonks watched as the other wizard approached so the beam of light eluminated his face and threw Malfoy's sharp dangerous expression into view.

"Well then, let me escort you to your destination of choice since you seem to be lost down here." Kingsley Shacklebolt's deep calming voice echoed off the walls.

"No no, that will not be necessary, I will just find my way back to the Atrium and head home," Malfoy sneered trying to move past Kingsley who did not flinch as the Death Eater walked towards him wand still held aloft in his hand

Tonks clutched her own wand ready to strike if he even dare try to hurt Kingsley. Malfoy stopped trying to move past him and simply stood pointing his wand directly at Kingsley's face. Kingsley raised his eyebrows at the out stretched wand wordlessly asking why he would need that pointing at his face for suggesting a simple answer to a supposed 'lost' Death Eaters question. Malfoy saw this and lowered his wand immediately.

He was expecting a duel to the death over this or perhaps he hoped.

Tonks thought scathingly.

"My apologies, you made me apprehensive with your sudden appearance." Malfoy smirked as he lowered his wand.

"Not a problem, "Replied Kingsley keeping his face passive and unreadable. "Now, please let me escort you back to the Atrium, the Minister would be most displeased if he knew Id sent you up there unescorted after finding you so obviously distraught about wandering around in the dark down here."

Tonks put her fist in her mouth to stop from snorting with laughter. Distraught? Him? Never. He found exactly what he was looking for crafty git, she thought.

"Yes, and thank goodness you have found me," He smirked his lip curling "I shall put a good word in with the Minister for you,"

"Many thanks," Kingsley said with a curt nod that was returned by Malfoy instantly "This way please, "He said making a sweeping movement with his arm.

Malfoy gave the corridor one last sweep with his eyes because he knew somewhere here concealed stood a member of the Order of the Phoenix and strode past Kingsley outstretched arm without a backward glance.

Kingsley did not move straight away, he too knew this was true. His eyes too swept the corridor, he was looking for Tonks, any sign of life to show she was alive and that no harm had come to her at Malfoy's doing. She made the Invisibility Cloak rustle slightly and he fixed his eyes upon the spot in which she stood. He moved his lips silently but she already knew what he was going to say.

"Call a meeting. Now."

He tore his glance away from the spot in which she stood and walked silently after Malfoy. As the light disappeared she knew she was going to have to call a meeting of the whole Order to gather at Grimmauld Place and at one in the morning that wasn't going to be an easy task. Tonks walked to the end of the corridor, standing just beside the lift she whispered

"Expecto Patronum,"

A chameleon appeared before her and after looking back at her for a few seconds streaked out of view, she knew it was going to wake the other members of the Order and send them to Grimmauld Place for the meeting. Tonks pulled off the Invisibility Cloak and started walking down the once again darkened corridor.

Tonks opened the kitchen door to an almost full kitchen and that was just with the current occupants of the house. Molly, Arthur and Bill Weasley, Sirius and Remus Lupin were sitting ready and waiting, looking alert and ready to march to war if needed.

"What happened?" Bill asked

"Tea, dear?" Molly interjected before Tonks could answer him.

"Please," She nodded taking her own seat opposite Sirius

It had been at least a month since the first ever Order of the Phoenix meeting she had attended, she was used to having intense stares from the surrounding people in the room when she had witnessed something or had been made to give reports on her findings. She was still not comfortable with having Remus Lupin stare at her in such a way, I wish he wouldn't do that, it sits uncomfortably with me, she thought.

"Well I was on guard duty as per usual," She said shaking off her cloak and hanging it off the back of her chair. "Watching the door, and I heard footsteps. I thought it might be Kingsley just coming to let me off duty but just in case. I took Mad Eyes spare Invisibility Cloak with me, for security reasons, lucky really or I might not be sitting here or worse be in Azkaban." She looked up as Molly handed her a cup full of steaming Tea and as she looked back at the rest of the watchful crowd she caught Remus's eye and her stomach gave an uncomfortable turn.

He was watching her intently, his eyes never moving from her face. He looked pale and slightly strained usually, but tonight there was something else etched in his face, it looked a lot to Tonks like worry but she could be mistaken.

"Thanks Molly," She smiled as Molly Weasley returned to her seat and gazed at her as intently as the rest of the group that was crowded around the table.

"I pulled on the cloak and stood waiting, watching in case I had just heard things. Then a Death Eater bold as brass came striding up to the door, wand pointing straight at it, he put his hand in the middle of the door and when nothing happened merely just stood there."

"Merlin's beard," Arthur said shaking his head

"It was a few seconds before Kingsley showed up. But of course by then he had extinguished his own wand and changed out of his Death Eater attire. When the light fell upon his face, there stood,"

"Malfoy," Sirius said and his expression darkened when Tonks nodded.

"All three of us knew what he was doing there, so Kingsley never bothered to ask him but he escorted him back up to the Atrium, but the way he went about it was so amusing I just had to stuff my fist into my mouth to keep from laughing,"

"In true Black style," Sirius smirked and Molly threw him a dirty look.

"So, Voldemort knows what's hidden in the Department of Mysteries does he?" Bill asked with a dark expression.

"He must suspect it's something important if he knows that Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix is keeping a watchful eye over the place, that's why he sent Malfoy, to see if we were watching tonight and to try and get through the door." Remus concluded

"Well, we can't do anymore than we are doing right now. Does Dumbledore know all this?" Molly asked Tonks

"No. That's where I was heading next seen as he can't come here because the Ministry's watching him." Tonks replied drinking down the tea.

"No you don't," Molly said "You're going to stay here tonight; you look really pale and slightly peaky. You need a good night's rest, plus if Kingsley witnessed this he would surely go to Dumbledore himself,"

"But," Tonks started lamely

"Molly's right, your mother would kill me if she knew what you were doing and for not letting you get enough rest and food. We don't need you worn out and over tired before the good stuff starts," Sirius said grinning deviously at her

I'm being treated like I'm twelve again! Your mother and all this rubbish, he acts as though he supposed to be looking after me when I'm old enough to do that myself.

She thought irritably. It's not that I don't appreciate any of this, but I really need to tell Dumbledore this tonight, it's important, Tonks thought while trying to stifle a yawn behind her hand which unfortunately for her did not go unnoticed by Molly.

"Bed," She said simply as though that was an end to it "I'm going to make one up for you in one of the spare rooms upstairs." And she swept from the kitchen without another word.

"Well that's you told then isn't it?" Said Bill grinning "You never argue with her, ever."

"But what am I supposed to wear to sleep in?" Tonks asked before considering she was the only female in a room full of men.

"Nothing?" Sirius sniggered

The men laughed, Tonks scowled at her cousin and then looked at Remus who was not laughing but giving her that lopsided grin again. The one that always made her breath catch in her throat whenever she saw it.

"Seriously though," Sirius sniggered "I might have an old shirt or something upstairs you can wear."

"Thanks, that's a giant help." She sneered at her still laughing cousin she chanced a glance at Remus who was now smirking.

Men.

She thought, cursing all of their existences as Molly reappeared and summoned them all to bed before they wake up the children.

Tonks wondered up the stairs after Molly, they had left the laughing men to clean up the kitchen as punishment for their trying to be amusing.

When they had reached the third landing of the large house she pointed to a ajar door and said " In there dear, fresh linen sheets and nice aired rooming are waiting for you."

"Thanks, Molly," She grinned and Molly Weasley returned the smile before retreating back down the stairs no less wanting to check that none of her children or Hermione were awake and listening intently to what had been going on.

She walked across the landing to the ajar door; when she pushed it open she found a double bed made with crimson sheets, folded back looking welcoming; something that only a mother knew how to do. The window was open which was letting the slight breeze through so that he curtains swayed gently in the breeze; the wallpaper was peeling off, but that was expected considering the age of the house.

There was a knock at her door, and her heart leapt when Remus entered carrying a blue shirt in his hands. He held it out to her and she took it and felt her cheeks redden slightly when her fingers brushed against his.

"It's the only one we could find," He said "My apologies,"

"For what?" She asked holding up the shirt and seeing what the front read. "Ah."

"Yes, Sirius always did have rather amusing taste when he was young." Remus smirked

There on the shirt the words emblazoned were 'Ride me. I'm famous."

* * *

**Haha. Thanks goes to everyone who reviewed for me :**

**Please Review and more tomorrow:**

**xx**


	3. Chapter 3

You Had Me at Hello

**Well, again I couldn't resist writing yet more : and thanks to all of your for the excellent reviews : **

* * *

Tonks awoke with a start, she was sweating and she was sure she had been calling for her parents in her sleep. Her nightmare was unlike any other she had before; her father having been hunted by Death Eaters was finally captured and killed, leaving her and Andromeda distraught at their sudden loss. Then as Tonks slept peacefully in her own flat one night, a scream like no other had erupted, ringing in her ears and would not stop until she had supposedly reached her mother's house and found, her mother the last person, the last ray of hope she had left, laying dead in the living room which was blown to smithereens. That's all Tonks could remember coherently, the next part whenever she tried to focus on it all she had were images; small flashes of a distant battle, of Death Eaters and Dementors alike closing in on her, of someone saving her from these horrors and then yelling at her, of Dolohov duelling a man, then a flash of green light and a scream of horror from her open mouth, of a distant Voldemort, Bellatrix bearing down upon her, a flash of green light and then suddenly at the end of Remus smiling at her.

The last one's the oddest.

She thought, all the pain, suffering, the deaths and then at the end have something that looks joyful and at peace? For the first time she realised that the window had been shut, and she was sure she hadn't done this. Tonks clutched at her throat realising for the first time that it was dry and scratchy, she looked to her right and there sat a jug of water and a glass ready and waiting. She looked around the room but no one was there, the rest of the room lay untouched and unmoved, the way she had left it when she went to sleep. Tonks reached out to the small beside table and grabbed her watch off the side; it was nearly four in the morning, two and a half hours after she had fallen asleep in the first place. She swung her legs out of bed, forgetting about her throat and the fact she was covered in sweat. The shirt that Sirius had lent her came to about 5 inches above her knees and was incredibly short even by her standards.

Tonks walked over to the door leading into the hallway, and opened it. The house was shrouded in complete darkness, it was evident everyone was asleep but when she looked to her left the door of the room next to hers stood wide open and the occupant who had clearly been sleeping there, due to the bed clothes that had been thrown back, was no longer in there. She went back into her own room, grabbed her wand off the side table and whispered

"Lumos,"

She padded out into the hallway barefoot and across the landing, to the stairs. I wonder if I shouldn't just go back to bed and leave it, she thought. But her Auror instincts were too much for her and she creeped quietly down the stairs. She reached the ground floor and still nothing out of the ordinary had happened or had been seen by her, she looked downwards and saw a small flickering light emerging from under the door to the kitchen.

"Nox," she said pushing open the door.

She blinked and rubbed her eyes several times, the room was thrown into sharp relief, nothing was out of the ordinary here either apart from someone sitting at the table in the centre of the room.

"You were having a nightmare," Remus said looking up at her

"Yeah..." Tonks said dumbfounded "How did you..?"

"You were screaming," He said simply

"I was...how did you hear?" Tonks whispered

He had heard her, screaming for her parents like a child. She always came across the most childish and clumsy of the Order which she didn't mind usually, but in front of him she couldn't stand it.

"Well being the occupant of the room next to yours it does make it incredibly easy to hear through the walls, when you're screaming for your life," He smiled

"Why didn't you wake me up?" She asked infuriated by the reassuring smile like she was some kind of teenager.

"It's always better to let the nightmare play out, and then you have no danger of repeating it again. It gets it out of your system as it were." He merely shrugged this time "Besides, I'm sorry for having to silence you Nymphadora for if you had continued at that level then you would have woken the whole house,"

"That's why I have a sore throat, because you used a silencing charm on me?" Tonks scowled at him for interfering.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." Remus nodded

So you treated me like a child too, that's how you see me is it? A child?

Tonks thought bitterly. Well I'll show you, eventually, I am not a child and I will not be treated like one. She looked at him and saw the same expression that had appeared earlier when they were discussing her run in at the Ministry. The expression of worry or at least she had thought it was worry; well hoped really.

"What on earth were you dreaming about Nymphadora?" Remus asked looking at her from across the table.

"Don't call me that, Remus!"She hissed "You know its Tonks!"

Remus looked at her for a second and then formed the lopsided grin that she knew and had now come to love.

"Very well, Tonks," Remus said putting a special emphasis on her name "What on earth were you dreaming about?"

"It was slightly odd," She said not moving but too ashamed to look at him "My dad, was on the run for being a muggle, the Death Eaters captured and killed him. Then after a while they killed my mother." Tonks still daren't look at him, her face twisted and she could feel tears stinging her eyes but she still kept her eyes fixed on the surface of the table in front of her. "Then it got a little weirder, I was watching myself in a distant battle, fighting hopelessly against a hoard of Death Eaters and Dementors alike, someone helped; saved me. Then they were killed by Dolohov and I screamed as loud as I could the last things I remember really was; a view of Voldemort sweeping amongst the fighters and Bellatrix swooping upon me out of nowhere; then green light," She could feel her tears falling free down her cheeks and dripping onto the shirt that she was wearing.

I'm making a fool of myself! I'm crying over a stupid nightmare that will never come true; maybe I am that much of a child.

Tonks thought stupidly. She covered her hands with her face, and was ashamed of herself for crying in front of him. Tonks was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to hear the scrapping sounds of a hard wooden chair against the floor and of footsteps drawing closer to her.

She didn't remove her hands from her face when she felt hands grasp the tops of her arms and pull her forwards into something soft. Tonks stood there as Remus wrapped his arms around her and held her to his chest. She merely stood there silently crying while he held her and said nothing.

"I'm an idiot," she whispered

"You are nothing of the sort," He stated "Its normal to worry for others safety, the ones who you are close too, those who you love, your family; your friends..."

But to Tonks this sounded like he was trying to reassure himself of something rather than her. It felt like an age that they stood there, not speaking or moving when in reality it had been barely minutes. Tonks was still silently crying over the dreamt loss of loved ones, she avoided telling him the last part of the dream because that would be stupid of her and she wasn't sure what it meant anyway, she was more curious at what she had supposedly felt for the man killed by Dolohov.

"You have no need to worry anyway, "Came Remus's reassuring voice "Bellatrix and Dolohov are locked away in Azkaban,"

"But that's escapable, Sirius managed it." Tonks sniffed noticing he had not slackened his grip on her.

"Yes it is, but for all intense and purposes they are safely locked away in there right now, so there's nothing for you to worry about just yet." He said kissing the top of her head.

Reality jolted into her like never before, she was being held by Remus Lupin. Her stomach gave another uncomfortable turn and her heart rate increased. Tonks could feel her face growing redder by the second; but still neither of them moved.

One of us has to move we can't stand like this forever; I'd like too but if someone catches us we'll never hear the end of it.

She thought bitterly. Tonks slowly moved her head to look upwards at him, and found him to be looking down at her; they stared at each other for a split second neither of them apparently knowing what to do. Remus looked just like she did; even though he was pale he was slightly flustered.

Going unnoticed by the pair of the door had creaked open.

"What's going on here then?" Fred Weasley said in amusement

"Nothing Fred," Remus said letting go of Tonks instantly

Tonks wiped her eyes and looked at Fred, as she did so the smile faded from his face, he didn't look as cheery as he usually did, he looked remarkably tired and worn.

"What's the matter?" He said coming further over the threshold when he saw that she had been crying.

"Nothing, I'm fine," Tonks said smiling

"Yes, she's fine. Now Fred back to bed with you, if your mother knew you were down here when you're supposed to be in bed shell have your head as well as ours." Remus said waving his hand at him to shoo him out of the kitchen but Fred didn't move.

"Are you sure? Nothing's happened? No one's..." Fred faltered all remaining colour draining from his face.

"No, nothing's happened; and everyone's fine. Now back to bed with you, go!" Remus said finally managing to shove him out of the kitchen and watched him retreat up the stairs until he was sure that he'd gone back to his own room.

"You know, he's never going to go back to sleep; he's going to tell George all about what he just saw and then all the kids will know by breakfast in a few hours. Molly will find out and then she will have our heads for not waking her so she could yell at him for it," Tonks giggled

"Oh well, at least I managed to get him to go back to his room, that's a start at least whether he sleeps when he gets there is up to him so we can't be blamed for his lack of sleep." Remus smiled at her "Speaking of which, I think we should go too."

"Probably," She said shrugging

Remus waved his wand and the light extinguished immediately, he stood by the door frame not moving.

"After you," He said to Tonks to which she slowly walked around him tugging at the edges of the very short shirt.

They climbed the stairs together; Tonks all the meanwhile holding the edges of the shirt down so Remus didn't get a look at anything, as her cousin would have put it, 'good'. They climbed until they reached the landing to which both of their bedroom doors still stood open, Remus over took her when they got to the landing and made for his own bedroom. He turned and lent against the door frame to look at Tonks who merely just stood there looking a little embarrassed and still a bit ashamed of herself for crying in front of Remus Lupin.

I can't believe I cried, but he hugged me to him like I was his.

She thought excitement swelling in her stomach. Tonks looked at Remus standing there looking at her and she wondered what he could have possibly wanted from her. Tonks found she couldn't look him in the eye properly; he was looking at her intently and wouldn't stop.

She walked gingerly towards the door of her own room still keeping the short shirt in check so that he didn't get an eyeful. Tonks got to her own doorway, and turned sideways to look at Remus who had also turned as she walked across the landing, he had that lopsided grin again.

"What?" She said eventually getting tired of this treatment

"Nothing," He replied "I was just thinking what nice legs you have,"

"You...what sorry?" She stuttered

"Nothing. Sweet dreams Nymphadora," Remus smirked turning on his heel and shutting the door behind him.

Leaving her standing there feeling perplexed.

* * *

Last night, was not, POSSIBLE.

Her mind screamed as she walked down the stairs to breakfast a few hours later. I cried and he held me like I belonged to him, he kissed the top of my head and then told me I have nice legs. This Remus, she told herself, kind, thoughtful Remus. He was merely giving you a compliment and you took it the wrong way is all, as per usual; you fool. She thought, pushing open the kitchen door to which as she entered she saw Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Molly, Fred and George and Sirius sitting round the table. Only Remus looked up as she entered and her stomach gave an uncomfortable turn again, just hungry; she thought prodding it.

She sat down next to Ginny and yawned stretching.

"Have a long night did we?" Fred smirked looking from her to Remus.

Unfortunately for the pair of them Fred hadn't decided to mention their encounter until everyone was gathered in the kitchen for breakfast. Tonks stopped stretching immediately and looked at Fred wide eyed. She looked at Sirius who was looking from Tonks's shocked expression to Remus's flustered one and cottoned on first.

"Oh! You finally pulled your finger out of your arse did you?" Sirius said slapping him on the back.

"Pulled his finger out of his what now?!" Molly shrieked clearly outraged that that such language her been used in from of her children.

"Pardon me, I mean bottom," He smirked looking at Molly who still looked outraged where as Ginny and her brothers looked thoroughly amused.

Remus had now turned beet red and looked at the table in shame, Tonks was utterly surprised by this lewd behaviour of her cousin.

"I did nothing of the sort," Remus stated to Sirius as though he was the only one in the room "Nymphadora was upset about a nightmare shed had and I comforted her, that's all."

"Okay mate, but it looked like you were about to kiss her when I walked in," Fred sniggered

"You were out of bed after hours?!" Molly roared before continuing to yell at her son for disobeying her for the thousandth time since they had entered the house.

Ginny and Hermione shook their heads and Ron stifled his laughter by shoving more scrambled eggs into her already over bulging mouth.

"Tonks, shouldn't you be at work? It's almost nine," Hermione said showing Tonks her watch.

"Christ!" She said jumping up grabbing her cloak which she had left in the kitchen the night before. And before Molly could yell at her for swearing in front of her children she threw Remus one last glance who met her gaze before she wrenched hers away and ran from the room.

Ten minutes later she threw herself into her seat behind the desk in the little cubicle in the large Auror office.

That was close.

She thought rummaging through the paper work that had been left on her desk, forms for her to fill out about inspections carried out by her and her team. But after a few minutes she stopped because she had realised what Sirius had meant when he asked Remus if he had, as he so blindly put it 'Pulled his finger out of his arse"

He doesn't! He can't. I've only known him for a month or so.

Her mind screamed at her, but she had no more time to think as Sturgis Podmore had appeared in front of her desk whispering something about the next Order meeting that evening for her to tell the rest of the members about what she had seen because Dumbledore would be present this time.

* * *

**Well that's it for this chapter : aha : **

**Reviews please? **

**xx**


	4. Chapter 4

You Had Me at Hello

**Well, I****'****m sorry for the large gap in between these chapters. I tried so hard to get this to you all in the last two days and it didn't work because I had to go out, or my net wasn't working or like today I had to go to work (Saturday) so if you're reading this on Sunday, obviously I didn't finish this ****Saturday night and my apologies. And was down last night! So i couldnt upload, sorryagain.**

**But anyway- Thank you for all the wonderful ****reviews**** And ill stop babbling and continue with it now : )**

* * *

Ha, well this is a laugh. I've only been here for five minutes and already I've tripped over the umbrella stand as always, almost set Bill on fire and dropped a whole stack of plates, and that's only because Remus so much nodded to me as I entered the room.

Tonks thought looking at the table ashamed of herself, to make it worse Dumbledore had witnessed all of these little accidents as well and was now smiling to himself in pure amusement which made Tonks feel even worse about the situation that the most intelligent wizard in the world thought this was amusing rather than disgraceful.

Molly Weasley had also given her a small talk as she'd put it, or rather as Tonks or anyone else normal had called it a lecture on swearing in front of her children, and she seemed less than amused when Tonks had pointed out that Hermione wasn't her child and that they probably already knew and used these words frequently. Molly was now sitting next to her husband with a furious expression on her face and refusing to look at or acknowledge anyone that were in the room with her. Sirius seemed to find this all very amusing and had spent the last few minutes laughing and telling anyone and everyone who would listen that Tonks was definitely a Black.

"Do I look like I find this amusing Sirius?" She hissed at him

"Not really, but that only pushes him further to be honest," Remus replied without even looking at her to leave Sirius with a shocked expression on his face.

"You two are actually talking to each other after last night? And here was me thinking that there would be loads of avoiding each other and awkward silences but that's me told isn't it?" Sirius said

Remus and Tonks realised that they had spoken if not meaning to indirectly to each other; she looked up at Remus and he looked at her and after a few seconds Tonks looked away because she could feel her face reddening.

"Well my work here is done," Sirius grinned before turning to Mad Eye to tell him again that Tonks definitely was a Black.

I hate him, I actually hate him.

She thought.

"Let's have some order in here shall we?" Bill called and everyone fell silent.

"Thank you," Dumbledore said nodding to him whilst standing to greet everyone "Well, there are a few reports that need to be heard I think before we discuss the plan for fetching Harry from Privet Drive next week, Nymphadora I think we'll start with you,"

She stood, and she explained, and all the while Remus gave her the same intense stare. Whereas others were looking darkly at their neighbour or letting their eyes wonder around the room while listening Remus never removed his from her face. This was making her so uneasy that she ever stuttered and tripped over her words a few times making a complete fool of herself as always.

After a fair amount of swearing and rude comments about Voldemort and his supporters, Dumbledore called order again.

"It seems Lord Voldemort may have guessed what is located in the Department of Mysteries but then again, he was provided with certain information fourteen years ago." Dumbledore said looking in Snape's direction to which everyone turned as if to say that Tonks had been hurt last night then it would have been all his fault for making a mistake fourteen years previously.

"Well, the plan for fetching Harry requires volunteers." Dumbledore said looking around the room "And no Sirius you can't go, and you know full well why."

Tonks turned to see her cousin sit back moodily in his chair and fold his arms looking sullen.

"Now then, volunteers please?" Dumbledore enquired looking around the room. Mad Eye raised his hand first, then Hestia Jones, Eplhias Doge, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Emmeline Vance. Dumbledore looked around more to which Dedalus Diggle, Sturgis Podmore and then after a rather dark look and a prod from Sirius Remus raised his hand. "One more, to make it even?"

Without thinking or even negotiating it Tonks raised her hand too.

"Excellent, now the problem remains of how to get rid of his aunt and uncle for the evening while we remove Harry safely from Privet Drive," Dumbledore smiled as his eight volunteers lowered their hands.

"Didn't you say that those muggles are quite vain?" Kingsley's deep voice filled the room.

Dumbledore merely nodded, while Tonks looked from him to Remus in quick glances to make sure no one was watching her.

Oh, idea!

She thought.

"Well what about, writing to them, by muggle post of course; to tell them they've won sort of competition?" Tonks suggested openly and a few nodded.

"Excellent, Nymphadora!" Dumbledore cried while Tonks winced at the sound of her name when she opened her eyes again she looked at Remus she saw a boyish grin fade from his face immediately.

"Yes, but what would these muggles consider a firm prize?" Emmeline Vance chimed in.

"A prize for a well kept lawn?" Sirius sniggered

"Actually that's just the answer Sirius," Dumbledore said after a few minutes of everyone laughing. "Well, we have our plan, which of course we will carry out after Harry's birthday next week, in the meanwhile Nymphadora you must put together this letter, on paper not parchment and send it through the muggle post, I will advise you as to how to this properly," He added after see the puzzled look on her face.

Good.

She thought, otherwise it'd be typical Tonks, she screws everything up.

An hour and a half later when everyone had discussed their business and most of the Order and Dumbledore had left, only then did Molly Weasley begin her now daily routine of cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom.

"Must you do this every night?" Sirius complained

"Yes, if you want a living environment for Harry then, I must clean. It would be nice if I did have some help now and again." Molly scolded them all

"That's what the kids are for;" Sirius yawned lazily "I'm off to bed,"

He strode from the kitchen without a backward glance, leaving Molly Weasley infuriated and the rest of the people left in the room amused.

"He' only teasing Molly, it was a favourite pastime of his when we were young," Remus said not bothering to look up from an edition of the Daily Prophet he was looking at.

"Yes Remus, when you were young," She snapped putting deliberate emphasis on the last word.

Tonks looked on in amusement, she neither knew whether he was merely trying to help ease Molly's temper and defend his friend or anger her more. She watched him, smiling pleasantly to herself but after Molly had taken yet another stab at his friend and the childhood which were obviously the happiest days of his life she saw an expression of anger flit across his face. He was looking at the paper but his eyes were certainly no longer moving across the page, Molly Weasley had certainly angered him with her words.

Arthur would had sensed that it was not in his wife's best interests to anger a werewolf this close to the full moon got up and shooed her from the room immediately. They could all hear her angry protests up the stairs into the further retreats of the house; one by one other members of the Order slowly got up and retreated to their own rooms and comfort of their beds.

"Night," Bill called as he walked from the kitchen

"Night Bill," Tonks called back turning to face those that still remained in the kitchen.

She looked but saw only Remus sitting a table his eyes still fixed on the spot that they had been an hour previously when Molly Weasley had chosen to insult his friend and the memories he so obviously cherished.

Her stomach gave an uncomfortable squeeze as she sat down opposite him.

Great, just wonderful.

Tonks thought, I'm alone with him again, without a clue in the world what to say.

She looked at up at him and still his eyes had not moved from the same spot.

"Hello?" She said waving her hand at his face

He jumped suddenly as thought she had shaken him from a deep sleep. He looked around to find that everyone else had deserted the kitchen hours or as in Bill's case minutes before.

"Where is everyone?" He asked

"Gone to bed, not that you would have noticed being so concentrated the same spot of the page you've been staring at for the past three hours," Tonks smiled at him

He looked embarrassed and slightly flustered.

"To be honest, I was trying to control my anger," He said looking ashamed of himself again

"I saw," She said without hesitating and clapped her hand over her mouth the moment she'd said it.

"I know, I could feel you watching me this whole time," Remus said

"Well, I was just..." Tonks stuttered

I knew it; this is actually how I'm destined to die; tripping over my own words like poison.

She thought bitterly as she felt her face redden again. She looked up at him and he had plastered that boyish grin across his face again.

"Can I ask you something?" Tonks said

"Of course," He replied

"Were you just trying to antagonise Molly earlier?" She grinned

"Naturally," He smiled shrugging

"I was joking Remus," Tonks said raising her eyebrows at him.

"I wasn't Nymphadora," He smiled again the boyish grin deepening into a devious one.

She winced at the sound of own name again, closing her eyes as she did so.

"Don't call me that Remus!" She hissed "Its Tonks!"

When she re-opened her eyes he was sitting in the same position, the same devious smile plastered on his face but she saw a distant flicker of a Marauder just behind his eyes wanting to break out. To joke, laugh, poke fun, prank, cause general mayhem and run free at his own will.

She regarded him for a moment longer than she should have and before she could speak again he had stood and strode over to the door. He grasped the handle and turned it without even looking back at her.

"I love it when you do that," He said

"Wince at the sound of my own name?" She cried

But he never answered; he merely just opened the door and disappeared into the darkened hallway. She could hear him disappearing up the stairs and then a distant echo of a door shutting.

Remus Lupin, I'm going to break the Marauder out of you even if it kills me.

* * *

**Sorry it took so long to upload, was down last night which didnt help my mood after I'd finish this at 2 am specially for you all as well. **

**But still : ) Thanks for the reviews, favourties and alerts ;)**

**Please Review - Lindorie-Chan**


	5. Chapter 5

You Had Me At Hello

**Well : ) still thanks for all the reviews, favourites and alerts****: ) they really make my day : ) ****Also one of you said about taking this through HBP and DH, I might just do that. I don't know yet tbh, haha. I'll shut up and get on with it now.**** And sorry could update till now, been a bit busy and in need of inspiration ahah.**

**Disclaimer- EVERYTHING belongs to JKR. The only thing I own is the computer and keyboard that I type this on : )**

* * *

"This is bloody stupid Mad Eye," Tonks huffed as she walked through the cool night air

"It's not stupid Nymphadora, Dumbledore knows what he's talking about." Mad Eye Moody said as he stumped along beside her, keeping his magical eye covered with a tatty bowler hat as they walked down a seemingly empty muggle street.

"Look Harry's barely streets away, we could just go fetch him now and have it done with! None of this nonsense about the muggles winning a lawn competition, and for the last time Mad Eye. It's _Tonks,__" _She hissed.

"Nymphadora, you know as well as every bugger else in the Order it would be dangerous to move him now; and say his name louder why don't you? I don't think You-Know-Who himself heard you!" He hissed

"Its. _TONKS!" _Tonks half screamed in the middle of the muggle street scaring away two cats that had been sitting on the wall just as they past. "Yes I know why! But it would just be easier for us all, I'm sure there aren't that many reasons why we can't move him now,"

"There are a dozen reasons we couldn't remove him now; there's only two of us what would happen to the boy if either or both of us was killed in the attempt?" Mad Eye scolded her as he stopped on one side on a big red box sticking out from the ground. "You're an Auror, for Merlin sake woman use your brain! This small task was assigned to you, now bleeding well get on with it will you?"

"Merlin sake Mad Eye, it was only a suggestion," Tonks hissed as she removed the small yellow envelope from her jeans pocket. "I suppose it goes in there doesn't it?" She said pointing at the small hole in the very top of the large red box.

"That's what Dumbledore said didn't he girl? Now put it in there, and let get back to Headquarters before any bloody Death Eaters decide to join us," Mad Eye said looking around shiftily.

Even though she wasn't looking at him she could tell his magical eye was whizzing madly in its socket for signs of dark magic or visits from the Death Eaters. He was so careful and safe, one of the strongest most talented Aurors the Ministry had ever had. Other members of the Order called him paranoid, or too over protective, especially as it seemed over Nymphadora who of course was his favourite. Tonks however didn't mind him being over protective of her, she enjoyed his company and he was a role model for her, and of course part of her extended family.

Constant vigilance.

She thought to herself smiling. He was always saying this to her, constantly reminding her in case shed forgotten; she was clumsy but she was not forgetful. Tonks remembered every word that he had ever said to her because hidden in each of his speeches, lectures and general conversations was hiding a meaning, a story or a warning. One that shed heeded well just recently from him as well as her mother. 'Careful when you join the Order Nymphadora,' he'd warned her a few minutes after Dumbledore's departure from the Hogs Head a month beforehand. 'You must do what you're there for and rid the world of the bastards who are content on destroying everything we worked hard to build, not go around falling in love with people like a few did last time.' When she'd asked him why all he had said was simply "Don't do it' and that was an end to their conversation and it hadn't been spoken of since.

"Let's get back to Headquarters then," He said gruffly after she'd put her hand into the open part of the red box and let go of the letter. "Follow me then," He turned on the spot and was gone.

Tonks closed her eyes and did the same and when she opened them she was standing in a small square in the middle of a muggle street in London.

The air here was so much closer than it had been in Surrey, the fumes of dying fires toxicated the air and the night sky here had an orange glow to it rather than the pitch black starry sky shed just left behind her. Mad Eye stumped across the road to the door that was visible only to the two of them. Tonks followed him silently.

As they entered Grimmauld Place Molly Weasley came hurrying down the stairs.

"Did it go okay?" She asked "Are you both alright?"

"No were hanging by our thumbs in a Death Eaters dudgeon!" Mad Eye snapped at her "Of course were fine you stupid woman, otherwise we wouldn't be standing here would we?" He called as he stumped towards the kitchen.

"Don't mind him, he's just a bit crabby tonight, he hasn't eaten yet." Tonks said to an offended Molly Weasley whose expression changed instantly when it was understood that she had to cook "It went fine, no hassle whatsoever."

"Good," She said looking relieved and bustling down the small corridor to the kitchen. Tonks followed her quietly.

"There's my little cousin!"A voice shouted, there was a blue of colour and someone was hugging her tightly.

"Sirius, let go of her!" A male voiced called "She's turning blue."

"HA! Just 'cos you wanna her all for yourself Mooney," Sirius hiccoughed letting go of her, she could smell a distant whiff of Fire whisky about him though he looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

Tonks looked at Remus who had flushed slightly at this but had continued looking directly at Sirius.

"So c'mon then! Did ya do what ole Dummy told you too?!" He laughed with a vibrant smile on his face.

"Erm yeah," She stuttered

"Goodo!" He cheered "Now that she's all safe and sound. I'm off to bed for a bit of a party, if ya all know what I mean," He said winking and disappearing out of the room.

"Good lord!" Shrieked Molly "And THAT is supposed to be an example to Harry?"

"Don't start Molly, I warned you once before." Growled Remus.

Most of the people in the room jumped at the tone of his voice, because none of them, not even Tonks had heard him use this tone of voice before. His voice was always so pleasant, polite and calming.

"Anyway," Bill said in a hurried voice obviously desperate to change the subject. "Sirius heard that Harry's going to be staying here for the rest of the summer, he got a bit over excited and had one too many."

"Well shed obviously guessed that Bill." Arthur said looking over the Prophet at his son who shrugged

She yawned and stretched.

"Who's going to watch over him tonight then?" Bill asked his father and everyone knew he was indicating Harry

"Dung," Arthur said without bothering to look at his son.

Tonks looked at Molly who had her lips pressed tightly together. It was a well known fact amongst the Order of the Phoenix that Molly Weasley did not trust Mundungus Fletcher after he had deserted Harry the last time he'd watched over him so go purchase and trade stolen cauldrons. Leading Harry to get attacked by Dementors and land himself with a hearing at the Ministry in a week's time, creating quite mess for the Order and quite a mess for Dumbledore himself.

"I dare say I'm going to follow my friend, "Remus said yawning "Night All,"

"Goodnight Remus," Molly said pleasantly avoiding his eye

They all chorused goodnights to him as he walked round the table and passed Tonks who he smiled at before leaving the room. Her stomach clenched and stayed like it for the spilt second he'd passed her.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go home and sleep too," She said and then threw herself out of the room before Molly could demand her to stay.

"Jesus," She said on the other side of the door as she closed it.

"Indeed," Remus said from further down the hall as he was putting on a travelling cloak.

"I thought you said you were going to bed?!" Tonks whispered to him as she walked along the corridor to try not to wake the sleeping portrait of Mrs Black.

"Ah well," He said shrugging to her as he picked up her cloak and handed it to her.

She took it silently without a word. Why had he lied? And why was he not upstairs fawning over Sirius as he always did when Sirius had put himself in this sort of self inflicted state? Where was he going? And why ?

All these questions had run through her mind all at once, before she could think anything else a hand had closed around hers as she had taken the cloak from Remus. Tonks looked up to see him holding onto her, looking at her quite calmly as he always could so irritatingly do without showing any sign of emotion.

"Where are you going?" She whispered

"To explain," He replied simply

"Explain what?"

"I want you to come with me for moral support Nymphadora; I dare say I'll need it before the nights up." He asked her

She looked up at him simply, he was asking for her support on something he was obviously so desperately frightened of facing on his own, he was holding onto to her hand as though she would disappear if he let go. She saw the sudden flicker of sadness behind his eyes, and her stomach turned over. Her temperature started rising ever so slightly and she could feel her face growing redder by the second, Remus was getting slightly flustered but his grip never slackened, he knew just how much to give but just how much he needed to conceal as well.

"Call me Tonks and we have a deal Remus," She smiled at him

He smiled, but this time it was a sad smile rather than the lopsided grin she was so used to.

"Alright Tonks," He smiled and she smiled warmly back at him.

He let go of her hand and turned away from her to open the door as quietly as he could without disturbing anything as Tonks swung on her cloak.

"After you," He said holding the door open for her to pass

"..Thanks," Tonks said looking at the ground as she passed him.

I'm acting like a school girl with a crush here! Not a grown woman, who's being absolutely idiotic.

Her mind screamed at her. Once outside they walked over to the small garden square where Remus stopped and turned to face her.

"You don't know exactly where it is we're going, so you'd better hold on to my arm while I apparate." He said holding out his arm at her

"Okay..." Tonks said holding his arm tightly

She'd been taken on side-along apparation's before and with Mad Eye that was certainly no fun.

"Ready?" Remus asked quietly and she nodded "Hold tight,"

Tonks did as she was told and held as tight as she could, she closed her eyes as he turned on the spot and felt the atmosphere change again when she smelt fresh clean air all around her. Tonks opened her eyes and found herself to be standing outside a small graveyard in an evidently wizarding village.

"You do know I like my circulation to be flowing normally," Remus chuckled from beside her

Tonks jumped and realised she was still holding onto him like a frightened child, she released him instantly, but the lop sided grin was back and he looked mischievous just like he had the night he told her that he loved it when she winced at the sound of her own name. There were of course many times over the past few days when she had told herself she was merely over tired and she had purely imagined this. But then again Remus always called her Nymphadora and was grinning like a school boy every time she'd opened her eyes afterwards.

"Come on," He said looking toward the darkened graveyard. The lights in the church were still on which were casting colourful rays of lights over the grass and headstones from the stained glass.

She followed him silently but quickly through the graveyard winding in and out of headstones so quickly that she only caught various parts of names. Finally Remus stopped beside a large marble head stone that glowed even in the darkness, and would certainly not need the light from the church to read.

Remus turned to her as she approached the stone and smiled sadly. Tonks looked down and etched in the stone were black letters that read,

'James Potter, born 27 March 1960, died 31 October 1981.

Lily Potter, born 30 January 1960, died 31 October 1981.

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.'

"Nymphadora Tonks," He said still with the same sad smile etched in his face "I want you to meet Lily and James Potter. Lily the woman, who saw the best in everyone even when they could not see in themselves and James, the man who was as good as a brother to me and welcomed me with open arms even when he found out what I am. "

"Remus," Tonks whispered to him, she could feel the tears stinging her eyes.

Before she could stop them tears were running down her face, boiling hot against the fresh night air. She could not understand how he could remain so still and calm, when somewhere below them lay his friends, _HIS_ family, who died to save their son from harm and left him behind.

Tonks looked up at him who was still smiling rather sadly at her without a hint of tears in his own eyes, she walked forwards and before she even thought about it, she had put her arms around his neck and laid her head upon his shoulder. He hugged her to him but he still was not showing a sign of wanting to shed a tear.

Tonks could feel a strange presence; two figures could be seen just out of the corner of her eye standing just by the grave stone watching them silently, she knew the moment she turned her head to get a better look they'd disappear like they'd never existed, obscured to the unwise living eye.

"You feel that?" He asked her quietly and she nodded not trusting herself to speak. "They've come to say hello,"

* * *

**Wells, its now 2am and im tired. And I hope you all know I made myself cry with that last part when I was typing it, yes genuis I know, making yourself cry with your own fanfiction. hahaha.**

**but anyway.**

**Reviews please: ) **

**Lindorie-Chan xx**


	6. Chapter 6

You Had Me At Hello

**Thanks again for the reviews and stuffs they really do make my day! And I was supposed to write this days ago but I was wrapped up in the dramas of my own life haha xD**** Like last night, I was ****supposed**** to write this but I came back from mates house at like half eleven XD**

**And those from DA reading this- Hi: ) **

**Ill shut up now : ) **

* * *

"He took you where?!" Molly Weasley said softly 

"You heard," Tonks said looking at the table "Merlin sake Molly."

"Moral support, I suppose." She said busying herself with chopping carrots while the potatoes magically peeled themselves

"But for what? We just stood there for a long time and he didn't say a word!" Tonks flushed at an eagerly listening Molly.

"Tonks, dear; he lost his friends and the only two things in the world that remain to remind him of them are in the form of Harry and that horrid piece of stone you get to announce to the world the day you cease to exist as part of the living." She said looking slightly bitter "He made have needed another presence there to keep him from..."

"From what?" George announced from the doorway

"Never you mind." Molly said sharply "And why aren't you helping with the cleaning?"

"Tired mum," George wailed

"Tough. It's not my fault you and your brother saw fit to be up until the early hours of this morning, now back to the drawing room and finish what you were doing. And you," She shrieked at Sirius who had appeared just behind George "Are supposed to be supervising them!"

"Yeah, but were all tired and hungry," He protested but Tonks knew better than this by now. Her cousin was bored and she knew why, having herself been helping out with the so called cleaning of the house. Tonks thought it was de-investating rather than cleaning.

"Fine, but why is Tonks allowed to stay down here? She's supposed to be helping as well."George complained

"Tonks and I are discussing something that's been bothering her," Molly said while continuing to chop the carrots by hand instead of magically.

"Bothering her eh?" Sirius jumped in before George could open his mouth again "Does this have anything to do with the one man who's affected by a full moon by any chance?"

"No it doesn't," Tonks finally said but she couldn't look her cousin directly in the eye this time so he knew she was lying.

"Of course, c'mon George back the cleaning we go." He said taking the young boy by his shoulders and steering him out of the doorway and back towards the stairs.

"What does this have to with Remus?" Tonks heard George ask

"Nothing, adult stuff mate. You'll understand one day." Sirius voice drifted down the stairs

"You sound like my parents,"

"Well at least he did something responsible for a change," Molly said smiling a little to herself

"He can be responsible but he does like to enjoy life Molly, and for being cooped up in a cell all those years I don't blame him." Tonks sighed

"I suppose not, I just wish he'd take the Order more seriously, especially in front of the children. He treats the Order and life as one big joke, and I already have two of my children who think that normally I don't need anymore."

"I know- we all know Molly; you might think he's irresponsible but I wouldn't have him any other way to be honest. Besides he's serious and adult when he needs to be, I'm sure he will be in front of Harry too. He does care for Harry too you know,"

"I know," Molly said quietly.

She just needs to learn to relax a little that's all. She's quite fun when she's laid back.

Tonks thought smiling a little to herself for she knew how fun Molly could be under the influence of a little bit of Fire whisky.

The two women sat in silence until a familiar stumping sound was heard from further down the corridor announcing the arrival of Mad Eye Moody.

"Someone die or something ladies?" A deeper voice said rather Mad Eyes gruff one

"No Sturgis and don't joke about things like that please," Molly winced

"Pardon me," He said and had the decency to look ashamed of himself.

"We've come for my spare invisibility cloak Nymphadora, where is it?" Mad Eye huffed

"Over there," She pointed to the cloak that had been casually slung over the back of one of the chairs wincing at the sound of her name.

"Who in Merlin's beard just _slung_ my cloak over a chair?"

"Snape; he thought it would be amusing," Tonks said rolling her eyes remembering the previous night when Severus Snape had come to drop off this cloak and knowing Mad Eye would be rather annoyed to have his magical artefacts casually strewn about the house had just simply slung on it on the chair in question and walked out again. The members of the Order who had sat around the table when he had arrived of course had tried moving this to prevent a scene but found they could not touch it and the only one who could was Mad Eye thus producing the scene that was about to unfold in front of her.

"Amusing?! _AMUSING?!" _Yelled Mad Eye as Molly ran to shut the kitchen door before they woke the sleeping portrait of Mrs Black. "Yes leave my precious processions casually strewn about a house full of teenagers who are known to be good at getting themselves into masses of trouble? Yes very bright and the man's supposed to be a _teacher at a school._"

Tonks was smiling in spite of this; she had always found it rather amusing when Mad Eye had ranted over something small petty such as this

"You think this is funny do you Nymphadora?" Mad Eye said gruffly seeing the smile on her face "Well ha bastard bloody ha," He said snatching up the cloak and handing it to Sturgis before stumping out of the room again and towards the front door; constant mutterings of Constant Vigilance could be heard as walked.

"Thanks," Sturgis said smiling at Tonks who was fit to burst laughing by now; before saying his goodbyes to Molly and striding from the room himself. Minutes later the door could be heard opening and gently closing again as to not wake any sleeping portraits.

"What does he need the cloak for?" Molly asked

"Oh, he's on guard duty in about two weeks or so. But he went and got assigned a job for now and its going to be keeping him busy for the next two weeks so he'll the cloak to get away and go on guard duty; and after what happened to me, because there have been constant reports of Malfoy showing up all over the map lately; Mad Eye and Dumbledore aren't taking any chances." Tonks scowled.

"Why does he need the cloak so much then?" Molly asked

"Well because were either all too busy keeping an eye on children here, going to fetch Harry, tracing and following Death Eaters or keeping up with our jobs at the Ministry so nothing looks suspicious. So he's going to do a few nights, to cover me and Kingsley and then his own night in two weeks," Tonks shrugged

"I can't believe fetching Harry's come round too quickly," Molly smiled

"Yeah, tomorrow night I get to meet the famous Harry Potter," Tonks grinned

"Oh you'll love him Tonks he's such a dear boy. And after all he's been through and all he's done, he's still the most modest boy in the world." Molly beamed at her

"Well then if you put it like that," Tonks said "I'm sure I will"

Molly beamed at her again and Tonks smiled back

"Well you two seem happy, what's the joke?" Sirius had re appeared in the doorway.

"Nothing, just Harry gets here tomorrow," Tonks smiled

"Yeah I know," Sirius beamed as well

I think that's that happiest I've ever seen him. Harry really must be something.

Tonks thought.

* * *

"Now remember the plan!" Mad Eye huffed as they crossed the square holding their brooms. 

"Merlin's Beard Mad Eye! We know the bloody plan!" Tonks said exasperatedly as the small breeze wisped through her now violet shoulder length hair.

Mad Eye had scolded her in front of all the Order into changing her hair to be something less conspicuous for flying through the night skies.

Typical; absolutely typical.

She thought bitterly as she followed Mad Eye into the dank little square patch of garden.

"Yes yes, everyone remember; don't break ranks, of one of us is killed fly in a different direction. When we get to the boy, we wait for the signal and then we fly. Same instructions apply for bringing him back here, but he is too keep flying east where the rear guard will join him and bring him back here. Questions?" He said gruffly coming to a halt.

"Just one," Tonks said irritated "Why in Merlin's name are we discussing this out in the open?!" She hissed

"Alright Alright, Nymphadora. Everyone mount your brooms and one, two, three..."

On three they all kicked off from the ground seeding upwards but never breaking the formation they had set off in. Tonks breathed in the clean air, so much that she began to cough and after a sharp glance from Mad Eye immediately stifled it behind her hand.

The further south they went they more the air around them became fresh and unclogged. It was slightly cloudy but other than that it was perfect for flying.

She was watching Mad Eye constantly because he we where exactly they were going and when to start the descent but her eyes were peeled for any sign of movement in the skies around them just in case she needed to battle and fly at the same time.

Mad Eye dived suddenly and they all followed suit. As she was hurtling towards the ground she saw lights flick past her and as the ground came into view as a small back garden of a terraced house as started to pull back on her broom slightly. Tonks watched as Mad Eye was first to land closely followed by Kinglsey then Remus.

She pulled back on her broom a little too late and found herself unable to stop as her feet hit the soft grass.

Bugger.

She thought. The broom suddenly stopped moving and she found herself half stumbling and half falling stupidly through the air. Tonks vision was blurred full of grey, green and black, and her hands were swinging about wildly looking for something to grab to stop herself from falling flat on her face.

A dark blue obscured her view and she felt herself fall on something soft and laid her head there for a moment while the world stopped spinning. While she was regaining her bearings she felt that someone's arms were wrapped around her holding her still and she recognised the calming atmosphere the person was giving off.

"Nice save Lupin," Kingsley's deep voice boomed

"Indeed," Dedalus Diggle exclaimed as he landed a few feet away.

"Enough," Mad Eyes voice boomed "We're here to fetch the boy, not congratulate Lupin on him saving Nymphadora from making a fool of herself,"

She heard the others shuffle past her as Remus let go. She had not seen him since the night that he had taken her to Godrics Hollow. Tonks had not wanted an awkward encounter with him because after all she stood there for half an hour with her arms wrapped around him not saying a word. Even after she had realised what she was doing and released him she still had not said a word and neither had he.

He smiled warmly down at her and she tried to smile back.

"Thanks," Tonks said quietly

"My pleasure," He said giving her the lopsided grin and this time, she was sure of it, she saw the spirit of a Marauder dance behind his eyes wanting to break out.

"Are you two going to stand out there exchanging pleasantries all night or do we have a job to do?!" Mad Eye yelled to the pair of them from his spot just by the back door.

"After you," Remus said holding out his arm for her to pass

She walked silently past him, contemplating how to break the Marauder out.

* * *

**And again its 2 am. I seem to like writing this in the very early hours of the morning for some reason.** **But sadly I won't be able to do that when ****I**** start college again so ****I**** really must kick this habit and the insomniac problem I seemed to have gained over the summer. ****Haha.**

**Please ****Review ?**

**Thanks !**** Lindorie-Chan**

**xx**


	7. Chapter 7

You Had Me At Hello

**College has been a nightmare. I can't believe how much work and ****it's**** only almost week three, and yes I'm sorry for not updating sooner. I have essays, research and sketch book stuff to do, ****I**** have to go to work and my personal life got in the way again. Sorrrrry. I have been really busy.**

**And again those reading from DA- Hi: )**

* * *

"Whys Dumbledore called us here so late?" Arthur Weasley asked yawning

"He probably wants information as to why Sturgis didn't turn up for the advanced guard to Kings Cross," Bill said yawning himself

Merlin's sake, its past one in the morning. If all this is to ask why he didn't turn up, I'm gonna...

Tonks thought stifling her own yawn behind her hand. She looked at Sirius who looked delighted to have the house almost full again, but the kids were still missing and that's who he missed most, Harry.

And oddly, after only having known Harry a short while for a period during the summer she missed him too, as Molly had said he was a 'delightful' boy. She wasn't sure if shed use the phrasing of delightful but he certainly was modest for all he'd been through; whereas most teenage boys would have played the tragic hero. Tonks remembered the night she had helped pack up his room when they went to fetch him from the muggles and his amazed expression when she had morphed her features. She had expected him to be only a little impressed, being who he was, what he had done and what he had seen already in his short life but even this amazed him.

The room fell silent; Tonks roused from her thoughts so see why, and at the head of the table stood Dumbledore who looked exhausted himself.

"My apologies for bringing you all here at this ungodly hour, but it seems to have been proven this is the only way I can get away without Dolores suspecting me of anything but sleep walking," He mused with a small smile.

Many of the Order nodded and understood but still looked mildly annoyed.

"It seems we have an explanation as to why Mr Podmore was not at his post as part of the advance guard," His expression became more serious at each passing word.

"Whys that then?" Mad Eye said gruffly.

He was never a big fan of suspense.

Tonks thought while trying to keep from smiling at the rudeness of her mentor.

"He was caught mere minutes ago trying to break through the door into the Department of Mysteries,"

"Pardon me?!" Dedalus Diggle half shrieked while others around the table looked stunned and appalled.

"Not to worry, he has kept our secrets to himself." Dumbledore said patiently "He was obviously Imperioused into doing Voldemort's bidding," A few people muffled shrieks at the sound of this name and others just went pale.

"And what about my Invisibility cloak?" Mad Eye huffed clearly disappointed he'd been woken for this tiny piece of information he could have read about in the morning Prophet.

"Unfortunately Alastor, that was confiscated and is being held as evidence against Mr Podmore who is now awaiting trail; but unfortunately is now facing a sentence in Azkaban despite my best efforts." Dumbledore sighed shaking his head.

"Good lord," Whispered a witch to Tonks's right hand side.

"Sadly, that is all I called you here for tonight. I'm terribly sorry for waking you all but it was necessary you heard this from me rather than read about in the morning's edition of the Daily Prophet,"

"You mean that sheet of rag that has no better use than spare toilet paper?" Sirius chuckled lightly

"Quite," Dumbledore said nodding a small smile appearing on his face "You may all return to your beds now as I must return to watch over your children and my school before Madam Umbridge becomes suspicious. Good Evening."

Tonks watched him stride from the room with a guilty conscience. It was her shift that Sturgis had been covering tonight, had she have not have been exhausted and asked him to switch shed be the one sitting awaiting trial.

She stood and then realised one person had been missing from the room the whole time and shed not even noticed. She turned to Sirius who had already seen her puzzled expression.

"Tomorrows a full moon," He said simply "He got half way down here and was too tired to carry on, so now he's just sitting in the drawing room."

"Ah," Tonks nodded.

"Go tuck him in bed," Sirius said jabbing her in the arm

"Enough," She hissed before stomping from the room

* * *

Tonks walked carefully and quietly across the landing to the drawing room door which stood ajar, allowing a small amount of light from a lamp to shine through. She poked her head around the door to see Remus slumped in a chair, his eyes closed.

He looks like death warmed up

She thought as she approached the sleeping figure of Remus Lupin.

As she watched him sleeping a smile crept over her lips, he looked much younger sleeping than he did when he was awake. This gave him what little energy he had normally, just sleeping and being generally peaceful.

She drew her wand and summoned the small stool over to where she stood, she caught it midair and slowly bent down to put it quietly on the floor. Tonks hesitated for a moment and then swallowed her stupidity; she carefully put her wand on the floor and lifted his feet up with one hand while placing the stool underneath them with the other.

Tonks stood up, picking up her wand as she went and smiled at her triumph. She hadn't woken him yet; usually she would have done something clumsy like fall on him. Pleased with herself she flicked her wand once more, which made a blanket appear out of thin air and land gently on top of the sleeping Remus.

Tonks turned on her heel and strode over to the lamp that was on an adjacent table, she looked back at Remus and was shocked to find that his eyes were open and looking directly at her.

Damn, almost.

She thought bitterly.

"Thank you Nymphadora," He smiled serenely

"It's _Tonks,__"_ She hissed at him but she could feel herself smiling nevertheless.

He closed his eyes again the smile never fading from his face; Tonks bent low over the lamp and extinguished it.

She tried to pick her way carefully back across the room, she'd just about made it to the door when he toe caught on the edge of the side table.

"Shit," She whispered trying not to scream out in pain

Tonks heard a snort from the other side of the room and she was sure Remus was sniggering someone under the blanket shed conjured for him.

She limped the rest of the way to the door and wrenched it open and threw one last look at the now obscured figure slumped in the chair.

"Goodnight _Tonks," _Remus yawned

"Goodnight," She said and she shut the door smiling to herself.

Tonks turned around to find Sirius standing before her with an amused expression on his face.

"Smooth," He chuckled

She scowled at him again and limped off down the landing towards the stairs to make her way home. Her toe was still throbbing but the pain was not as large as the obvious girlish excitement that she could not shake off no matter how hard she tried.

* * *

**Sorry that took so long! Really I am.**

**Please Review!**

**Lindorie-Chan**** xx**


	8. Chapter 8

You Had Me At Hello

**Well it's been over three years since I started writing this and updating it regularly but err…life got a bit hectic! :D sometimes in a bad way but hey. I thought about writing this again yesterday and had to re read it all to remind myself and realised I'd written myself into a bit of a corner that I couldn't think how to get out of. But now I'm going to try! So um, I'm a little rusty obviously so bear with me?**

* * *

Bugger.

Tonks thought bitterly as she threw herself into the chair behind her desk the next morning. She had spent the entire night laying flat on her back, wide eyed and cursing herself for making a fool of herself yet again. Tonks looked down at her desk; the piles of paperwork that sat unfinished and a coffee cup from a few days previously that had started to grow a hint of mould in the bottom.

The office was bustling as it usually was at nine thirty in the morning, wizards and witches alike to-ing and fro-ing, but this morning there was a slight difference. A small group of her fellow Aurors were stood around in a circle talking. A sight that was not un-common by any standards but unusual for so early in the morning.

Tonks looked up as Kingsley strode into the office, as he passed her desk he dropped the mornings Prophet in front of her and pointed to the small group before walking to his own desk that was just as equally buried in paperwork as her own. She looked down at the main headline, 'TRESSPASS AT MINISTRY'. Tonks understood immediately; they were discussing Sturgis's imprisonment in Azkaban.

SIX MONTHS? That's ridiculous!

She thought as she tossed the paper into her bin. Tonks moved to get up out of her chair to see if she could over hear anything useful for that evenings Order meeting, her toe gave an awful twinge from where she had stubbed it the night before, she looked at her toe for a few minutes as a brief reminder of her stupidity in front of Remus. The pit of her stomach became very warm and fluttery and she felt her cheeks warm instantly.

Tonks jumped suddenly as Kingsley gave a sharp cough, which not only jolted her back to reality but signalled that she needed to be listening to the gossip. She sighed, stood up and made her way over to the small gaggle of Aurors.

Tonks didn't even have to open her eyes to know that she was standing the opposite side of the street to Grimmauld place, headquarters to the Order of the Phoenix. The air here was always much dirtier than it was on the other side of London where her flat was located. She looked around more than once as Mad-Eye had taught her; just to make sure she hadn't been seen or joined by any Death Eaters.

Walking across the road she tripped slight in a small pothole and swore.

"Nymphadora!" A male voice hissed

She looked up and saw this had signalled the arrival of Mad-Eye Moody.

"Wotcher Mad-Eye," Tonks said grinning at him "And Merlin's beard! For the LAST time is _TONKS." _

He regarded for a few moments before turning a little red as though he was about to explode. He beckoned her over, and she went to him immediately knowing it was the calm before the storm. Tonks stood in front of him waiting for the giant speech that was about to befoul her.

"Nymphadora, do you have anything to report tonight? Because if not maybe, you can spend this evening contemplating the phrase; 'As silent as the Grave' and all of its possible meanings!" Mad-Eye growled at her before stumping off to knock on the door.

Tonks sighed, she forgot that she shouldn't swear in front of Mad-Eye because as he says, 'It's not lady like!' But when had she Nymphadora Tonks been lady like? She followed Mad-Eye up the steps and now into the already opened door.

"Wotcher Bill," She whispered as she passed him

"Tonight's meetings been cancelled. Dumbledore can't get away, you can stay if you like but we still haven't cleaned up the dinner things and Mum's…well…" He trailed off looking uncomfortable.

From below their feet they heard muffled sounds of someone shouting and things being smashed. Bill rushed past them towards the door that led downstairs to the kitchen. Tonks followed Bill into the kitchen that was thrown into sharp relief very quickly after being in darkened hallways for so long.

Tonks could hardly believe her eyes at the scene before her. Molly was sitting at the large table crying into her hands; meanwhile Arthur Weasley was shouting and waving his arms around knocking clean glasses and plates off the side. Bill went straight to his father to help a very alarmed Sirius who was already trying to subdue him.

"What in MERLINS BEARD IS GOING ON IN HERE? HAVE YOU ALL GONE MAD?" Mad-Eye boomed.

At this Arthur stopped shouting and even Molly looked up from her hands. Arthur seemed to compose himself at the sight of Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody gawping at him. He went limp and became the silent and gentle man they were all used too.

"Forgive me," He said clearing his throat. "It's been a very trying day."

"Clearly Weasley," Mad-Eye said surveying him with his one good eye while the other whizzed madly in its socket.

"Time for some tea I think," Molly hiccoughed standing up. She made her way slowly over to the stove to fetch the kettle.

"What's happened? And where's Remus?" Tonks asked confused

As soon as the last syllable had left her mouth Arthur again started to become enraged and Molly sniffed from the other side of the room.

"We've had to lock Remus in the drawing room, we, unlike you, don't fancy being bitten by him," Sirius grinned whilst being helped by Bill to sit Arthur in a chair.

Tonks scowled at him and made her way to Molly whilst Mad-Eye took a seat across from Arthur.

"Molly let me, please?" She said gently taking the kettle from her and for once in her life Molly Weasley let herself be steered to a seat by Sirius.

"How did I manage to raise a boy that's so…" Arthur started but couldn't seem to find the words to form the rest of the sentence.

"…So obviously got his own wand shoved so far up his own arse that he's an ungrateful judgemental little git?" Sirius finished for him.

Ah, I guess this is about Percy.

Tonks thought, darkly. Molly looked at Sirius sharply and everyone in the room was convinced she was going to shout at him for swearing and being so rude about one of her own children, she shocked them all however by saying,

"Exactly. We raised him; we put clothes on his back and food on his plate! And now this is how he treats us? By cutting us off because he believes were insane for falling in with Dumbledore and how did he put it? His 'lot'? To praise that awful toad like woman! And to write such heinous things about Harry! And then sending it as advice to his youngest brother AS ADVICE. I WONT HEAR OF IT."

Sirius raised his eyebrows at her and then smiled and said "Here here!"

"I mean honestly! Striding up to his own father and handing him a copy of the filth that he tried to poison his youngest brother with. It's unspeakable and he is certainly not the boy we raised!"

Tonks put the kettle down and sat at the table beside Sirius.

"Molly dear, perhaps it's time for an early night to regain our strength before we head home tomorrow." Arthur said rising from his chair and beckoned for his wife to follow. "Bill would you quickly go and check to see if the house is okay before you sleep?"

Bill nodded silently and moved from the room before anymore could be asked of him. Molly Weasley slowly stood; she looked tired and now old to Tonks. The Molly she'd seen before now had always been so welcoming, warm and happy. Now she looked tired and worn thanks to the efforts of one of her own children. Tonks had never met Percy but she already had a strong dislike for him for the way he was treating his wonderful parents.

"I should go, checks to perform and all that before I sleep!" Mad-Eye announced. "Not too late now Nymphadora,"

"No Mad-Eye," Tonks scoffed following him out of the kitchen followed closely by Arthur and Molly. When they reached the front door, Arthur and Molly bade Mad-Eye and Tonks a good night before embarking upstairs.

"Terrible shame that." Mad-Eye growled quietly

"What is?" Tonks asked

"That boy of theirs," He said gruffly before opening the door and disappearing leaving Tonks alone in the hallway. She made her way back downstairs to the kitchen. When she arrived and had pushed open the door she looked around for signs of Sirius who had been sitting at the table, she soon found him with his head in the fire talking softly.

"I'll write to tell you a time I can make it back to the fire, then, shall I? If you can stand to risk it?" Sirius said sulkily before pulling his head out of the fire completely.

He stood up and turned around; when he saw her he raised his eyebrows.

"I was talking to Harry," He said without her having to ask "He doesn't want me to go to Hogsmeade and meet them next free weekend they have,"

"Well, I don't blame him. He's only just got to know you, he loves you and he doesn't want you to be taken away from him! And neither do I!" She grinned which made Sirius smile too. "So, is Remus okay by himself up there?"

"I knew it, that's why you stuck around! Want to know about lover boy do you?" Sirius teased.

"I want to make sure he's okay yes, he is not my lover." Tonks flushed.

"Well why don't you stay here tonight, so you can make sure he's 'okay' in the morning? And in the mean time amuse a member of your family?" Sirius smirked at her

Git

Tonks thought. She knew if she stayed there Sirius would take it completely the wrong way and spend the remainder of the evening teasing her about just staying for Remus, but she got the feeling that Sirius although he had Remus there was very lonely and missed everyone being in the house terribly; especially the kids.

"Fine," Tonks sighed smiling.

Sirius grinned.

Well at least he's happy for the moment. Tonks thought. I wonder if Remus……

* * *

**Well that's it! I hope that wasn't too terrible but hopefully you all remember what part of the book that's from! **

**Please Review!**

**Lindorie-Chan **

**xx**


	9. Chapter 9

You Had Me At Hello

**You know, I'd actually forgotten that I'd written the next two chapters MONTHS ago and just forgot to upload them due to problems with my internet which have now been sorted. Major Duh moment I know, I only started thinking about this the other day after I'd seen DH! I remembered writing the chapters but no uploading them! SOOOOOOOOO SORRY! :O but im doing it now? And you get two WHOLE chapters and I'm working on the next one while these two upload so...forgive me? Cool :) **

**

* * *

**

Well this can't be good.

Tonks thought groggily as she opened her eyes the next morning. She sat up and looked around the room wearily, the curtains had been drawn though as she could plainly see it was daylight outside for the rays of sunshine were trying to sneak through the gaps at the top and bottom. When she looked down however she saw that she was still in her clothes from the previous evening and someone had rather crudely thrown a blanket over her instead of the bed sheets. Her head was pounding uncomfortably; she had a dry throat and felt thoroughly disorientated.

She swung her legs out of bed and tried to put her feet on the floor but found a soft mound instead of the hard wooden floor she expected. Tonks peered over the edge of the bed to see a man with dark hair huddled there. He opened his eyes and looked round at her.

"So is it your thing to greet people in the mornings by putting your feet on them?" Sirius said grinning up at her.

"No...why are you on the floor anyway?" She said laughing.

"Well after I carried your drunken ass to bed, I decided to lay on the floor directly in the path of your sick for kicks little cousin," Sirius growled "You really can't handle your liquor can you?"

"Apparently not," Tonks said clutching her head in pain. "So you passed out down there then?"

"I guess, I don't really remember to tell the truth." He smiled.

* * *

Ah, I'm late for work again.

She thought, jumping down the stairs two at a time toward the front door. She was pulling on her cloak when she heard footsteps behind her, Tonks turned to see a short plump woman coming out of the door to the kitchen.

"Wotcher Molly," Tonks whispered grinning

"Good morning dear! Aren't you late for work? Arthur left an hour ago!" She said checking her watch.

"Indeed she is. Though I rather think that's due to her playing drinking games with Sirius until three am," A soft male voice said close to her ear.

Tonks jumped out of her skin and looked round at the owner of the soft voice, Remus Lupin was standing inches from her left side having evidentially just walked down the stairs.

"How did you know that?" Tonks said aghast "You were..."

"Being a werewolf makes you rather hairy in uncomfortable places not deaf Nymphadora" Remus chuckled with the lop sided grin she loved so much on his face, putting emphasis on every syllable of her name.

Tonks shuddered at the sound of her name, when she re-opened her eyes he still had same grin on his face.

"Drinking games? I would have thought better of you," Molly frowned at her.

"Well so would I Molly, but it was rather amusing when she and Sirius thought they would try and communicate with me in wolfish ways through the drawing room door," Remus chuckled.

"Wolfish ways?" Tonks squeaked and almost wished she hadn't spoken at all, her head was killing her.

"You and Sirius took it upon yourselves to take it in turns to howl at me through the door to see if I would respond in kind," He laughed

"Is THAT was that was? Arthur and I thought it was someone swinging a bag of cats against a wall!" Molly said eyeing Tonks with amusement mingled with annoyance.

Tonks looked at Remus while Molly surveyed her. He looked very worn, and the scars that were always etched in his handsome face were more pronounced, his hair greyer but somehow he still looked like a young man to her. The lop sided grin she loved was still there and the eyes that she'd seen in the summer were back; looking at her, watching her and boring into her soul. She felt that there was someone behind them, another side to him that wanted to be free.

After what felt like an age she tore her gaze away from him and looked at Molly who had an interested look on her face.

"Have to go. Work, late. Tonks said and threw at herself out of the front door before Molly could even open her mouth.

* * *

Well, half an hour late isn't bad I suppose.

Tonks thought bitterly as she threw herself into her chair. She had spent the small walk from her flat to the Ministry cursing herself for letting Molly catch her and Remus having one of their 'moments'. Tonks looked down at her untidy desk and sighed, though none of this was work to be finished most of it was to be handed off to someone else's department she didn't really like the thought of having to sit here all day while Molly was probably trying to interrogate Remus about that look before she left for The Burrow.

Not that she'd get far.

Tonks smiled to herself. She had noticed that Remus had a knack for avoiding situations and questions that made him uncomfortable, that was his nature. Today the office was rather quiet, everyone was wrapping up their own individual assignments since nothing for a group or the whole office had come through lately. There was the usual of late, a small gaggle of witches stood in the corner gossiping about whatever had been in the news that morning or the latest office scandal. This had been happening ever since Sturgis' imprisonment.

She stood and started to move towards the witches hoping to pick up some more Ministry information that might be useful for the Order when one of them turned suddenly towards her and stopped dead when she saw Tonks approaching.

"Oh." She said frowning "You're heading up to the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office aren't you? Got that report to hand to Arthur Weasley about those toilets haven't you?"

"Yeah, I was just heading up there actually," Tonks said

She wasn't but Tonks thought the old witch needn't know this.

"Oh good, you can take mine up there for me. Arthur Weasley's one of those blacklisted ones for consorting with Dumbledore! I'd like to keep my job." She snapped shoving the piece of parchment into Tonks' hands.

"And what about my job?" Tonks asked her cooly.

"Yours will be fine," She snapped dismissively turning back to her gossiping colleagues.

Typical. Every man for himself now is it?

Tonks thought bitterly. She sighed and snatched up the first piece of parchment laying on her desk, she could have sent it as a memo but she wanted an excuse to get away from the office and the gossiping witches before she cursed them. If truth be told she wanted an excuse to talk to Arthur and ask if he and Molly were planning to stay at The Burrow now rather than at Headquarters so Molly wouldn't be able to question her and Remus any further.

She walked to the lifts and shut herself in, completely lost in her own thoughts. She jumped when she heard a small cough from behind her.

"Good Morning Nymphadora," The drawling voice hissed at the back of her head.

She turned to face her uncle, loathing the sight of him. She would give anything not to be standing in the same small space as him, she would have cursed him where he stood but they were in the Ministry surrounded by other witches and wizards so this would be most unwise. Appearances were everything in this place these days.

"Good Morning Mr Malfoy," Tonks said in the politest tone she could muster.

"Well I see your mother has managed to teach you manners if nothing else," Malfoy smirked.

He was trying to rile her. She knew it, this was the Malfoy's game to taunt the enemy up to the point of snapping, he'd taught his son to behave this way as well according to Arthur, Harry and Ron had gotten themselves in regular fights with the boy at school. But she would not rise, even though her anger was rising. Tonks knew very well what 'if nothing else meant' that she was exactly like her mother before her, consorting with as her most charming uncle would put it 'Blood-Traitors'. Tonks kept her mouth firmly shut and merely looked at him.

"My son tells me that the oaf Hagrid has not returned to his teaching position at Hogwarts this year and that he is still very much on _holiday." _Malfoy sneered looking right into Tonks' face this time. "Wouldn't have any idea where on _holiday_ would you?"

"And why would I know anything about where the Hogwarts gamekeeper is Mr Malfoy?" Tonks asked him knowing full well what he was implying.

"One hears things Nymphadora," Malfoy said simply but he was still smirking.

The doors opened and Tonks stalked out towards Arthurs' office without a backward glance. She would have to tell Arthur about this encounter later for discussing it at work would be dangerous.

* * *

Exhausted Tonks threw herself face down onto her sofa, the day had been longer than she'd anticipated when she got to Arthurs' office she had walked in on a scene from hell. The room itself was no bigger than a cupboard itself but the sight that greeted her was astronomical.

Arthur and his son standing what seemed to Tonks like ten feet apart shouting at each other, they had ceased immediately when they realised that Tonks had been standing there watching this with great interest. Percy had stalked past her, wishing her a good day before disappearing into the elevator at the end of the long hallway. She had tried to talk to Arthur about this encounter but he merely skated over the subject, she didn't press him and let it drop.

Tonks was just drifting of into a small doze when a brilliant silvery light threw itself through her fireplace and shone bright around her darkened living room. She lifted her head to find the patronus in the form of a Phoenix in front of her face.

'Could everyone please make their way to headquarters as soon as possible. Hagrid has just returned and informed me of his findings and detours. I will be there within the hour." Spoke Dumbledore's soothing voice.

"Brilliant," Tonks muttered to herself.

Sleep would have to wait.

* * *

**Please Review? **

**Lindorie-Chan x**


	10. Chapter 10

You Had Me At Hello

**Second chapter I was talking about! This one's a bit short for a reason! You'll see why in the next chapter which is the one I'm writing for Christmas of OoTP which is ironic cos it's nearly Christmas now. Aha, In a way I'm glad I'm re-reading the entire series and being on GoF atm means that I can actually add stuff from that in too that links with OoTP. Good times! **

**And btw angiedotdotla if you are reading this then, thanks for the review and I checked out yr prof and the 10 reasons why Twilight sucks list is hilarious! I agree. It has no depth, no character basis and no real story line at all. It's a terrible amount of digressive dribble to me. I'm sorry to those of you who think Twilight is an 'epic' piece of fiction but. It has NOTHING on Harry Potter which IS an EPIC piece of work and something I have cherished since my childhood. J.K Rowling is my hero for giving me Harry and his world. All she has to do now is write the Marauders Years and I'll be one happy little camper, seen as she cruelly took Sirius and Remus away after making me love them so much...that and a little trilogy about Dumbledore's adult years maybe? **

**But anyway YES I WILL NOW SHUT UP AND GET ON WITH IT. Oh and thanks to EVERYONE who reviewed, favourites and stuff! x**

**

* * *

**

Tonks threw herself into a chair in the dingy basement kitchen of Grimmauld Place, she knew that she looked tired and irritable but she didn't care. It was now nearly one in the morning, Tonks felt like she'd been awake for three days when in reality it was barely twenty four hours. The Order meetings were getting later and later into the early hours of the morning due to Dolores Umbridge's constant interference at Hogwarts. Tonks only had only met this woman once during her time at the Ministry and she had severely disliked her even then.

Other members of the Order were showing signs of becoming restless, most looking as though they had been literally dragged from the comfort of their beds. Sirius was sitting opposite her he looked a little hung over still and yet pleased, he was obviously thrilled about having the house full again only if it was for a few hours. Molly and Arthur were missing but having only returned to their house the previous morning Tonks couldn't really blame them, they had sent Bill in their place as he was sitting on her right side. Tonks checked her watch; she had received the message from Dumbledore nearly three hours ago.

"Tired?" Bill said grinning

"Yeah," Tonks yawned "Work's getting to be a bit crazy."

"Dad said. Yesterday was Saturday, prior to the incident at the Quidditch World Cup last year he couldn't remember going into work on a weekend, not since the First War."

"My jobs a bit different to your dad's though, I'm used to working the odd weekend every here and there but right now its seven days a week; if you count Order meetings and stuff" Tonks grinned sleepily at him "Why the hell aren't you tired?"

"When you were a curse breaker for Gringotts for years you rarely ever heard the words 'Sleep' or 'Weekend'" Bill said stretching

"True..." Tonks yawned putting her head on her arms "Though nearly everyone at the Ministry is working seven days a week now, want to impress Fudge and prove their worth. So they don't get associated with..."

"Me," Said a deep calming voice.

Tonks head snapped up immediately, she hadn't realised the room had fallen silent at the arrival of Dumbledore she had been far too wrapped up in her own tiredness.

Wonderful.

Tonks thought, I've managed to embarrass myself in front of the Order again. Mad-Eye who was sitting on her left side made his disapproval known by clicking his tongue loudly.

"Forgive me for the lateness, I am aware it was over three hours ago when I asked you to arrive." Dumbledore said striding to the head of the table. "Severus will not be joining us tonight as he has agreed to watch over the school and your children in my absence. "

There was an extremely loud snort from the opposite side of the table, Tonks saw as she looked round at Sirius that he'd leant back in chair and folded his arms looking sullen. Many people, Dumbledore included ignored this they had long since accepted Sirius hatred of Severus Snape.

"As I stated in my message Hagrid has returned this evening with what I hoped would be good news for you all, sadly this isn't so." Dumbledore sighed quietly "The Gurg that was in charge when Hagrid and Madam Maxine first arrived was very partial to my offer of companionship; he was impressed with my gifts and did not seem at all interested in the Death Easters offer. But as you know Giants are very temperamental creatures,"

"Temperamental!" Heista Jones cried.

"Yes, temperamental. The point is, a few nights into Hagrid's stay a fight broke out; quite a loud and violent one from what I understand. When Hagrid ventured into the camp on the third morning of their visit a new Gurg was in power having pulled his former chief to pieces. He seemed more inclined towards the Death Eaters message from Lord Voldemort." Dumbledore said heavily.

"So, what your saying is...there are no Giants willing to help us?" Bill said wincing along with several others at the mention of Voldemort name.

"Well, not as to say there weren't any willing to help us. Quite a few who survived the fight were willing to aid us to bring about peace in their own society too; but as I have said before Giants are temperamental creatures; their Gurg's supporters raided the caves where they were hiding and killed most of them. The ones who survived wanted nothing more to do with Hagrid or Madam Maxine."

Tonks looked around the table; everyone looked even wearier now than they had done when they had arrived. The fact that now Voldemort the Giants allegiance was unnerving even to Tonks, not that Aurors hadn't ever managed to kill or drive Giants away from Britain it was the fact that in the control of the Dark Lord they, like him would be unstoppable. She saw the fear in every one of their faces, and knew her own looked just as tired and worried.

"And now to my lateness; I was due to leave a second after I sent you each of you my message but just as I was about to leave the castle grounds I noticed a small figure walking in the direction of Hagrid's Cabin. Apparently it had not escaped Dolores' notice that he had returned, she took it upon herself to go down and question him herself." Dumbledore smiled his blue eyes twinkling.

"Old hag," Sirius said evidentially more loudly than he meant too for a few people laughed quietly or nodded.

"Well yes, Cornelius has given her permission to inspect and dismiss my teachers as she pleases. Naturally she is focusing her attention on those who are closest to me such as Hagrid. I suspected this would happen but I dare not challenge her as she would make it her mission to have me removed as Headmaster, and we cannot have that. I need to be there for the safety of the school and the children." He said to vehemently nodded agreement from most of the Order.

"Now I'm afraid I've been away far too long, I must return to my school. Hopefully if Dolores wishes to question me at this ungodly hour then I can get away with making her believe that I was having the quietest of naps at my desk. I bid a good night to you all."

There was a scraping of chairs as many of the Order stood up with him and all moved towards the door at once. Tonks didn't move she instead just put her head onto her arms; Bill smiled and nodded to Sirius as he left.

I'm just going to rest my eyes for a second...

* * *

Why the hell does my neck hurt?

Tonks thought wearily when she opened her eyes, it was a few moments before she realised she had fallen asleep at the table in Grimmauld Place. She lifted her head and looked around, all but one lamp had been extinguished and a blanket had been placed around her shoulders. Moodily she rose out of her chair; she stalked upwards towards the top of the house, evidentially Sirius had just left her there and gone to bed and that was fine for now he was going to get a very rude awakening.

She had just reached the landing of the first floor where the drawing room was located and the first two bedrooms, one of these which she had occupied a night during the summer when she had a nightmare. She was barely paying attention to where she was walking, when she felt a hand close around her forearm and drag her sideways into one of the bedrooms.

Tonks found herself facing a bed whose covers had been forced back rather brutally, she heard the door snap shut behind her and turned to face the man who was now smiling at her. She felt her cheeks redden instantly.

"On a mission there really weren't you?" Remus grinned at her

"I fell asleep in the kitchen and Sirius left me there the complete arse," Tonks muttered looking at Remus' left knee, then she remembered and her head snapped up.

"Why weren't you at the meeting?" Tonks said cocking her head to one side and felt her hand immediately jump to her neck, she had obviously pulled several muscles in her awkward sleeping position.

"I was too tired after last night's full moon to attend; Sirius filled me in on it afterwards. He did not however mention that he had left you asleep in the kitchen. Do you have a neck-ache now?" Remus asked

"Yeah," Tonks said now massaging her neck with both hands. "Because of the awkwardness of the little nap I just had."

"And you were storming up the stairs to wake Sirius and shout at him perhaps?" He grinned at her

"No. I was thinking I'd just smother him with a pillow actually; which is where I WAS going before you dragged me in here!" Tonks said letting go of her neck and starting to walk towards the door.

"I'm afraid I cannot let you torture Sirius, at least not tonight anyway." Remus said stepping right in front of the door handle which Tonks had made to grab. "He's had a tough time sleeping in this house ever since he came back here and tonight he finally looked tired."

"Oh," Tonks said letting her hand fall limply to her side. "Well then I suppose I'll just go home..."

"You don't have too," Remus said "We have bedrooms here." He added with a flustered look.

Tonks was dangerously aware of how close to him she was standing, and they had not been in this close proximity since they had been to fetch Harry from Privet Drive when she had stumbled off her broom. She looked up at him and he was smiling down at her silently.

"You should sleep, you looked tired Nymphadora," Remus said letting the lop sided grin appear on his face.

"It's _TONKS _Remus. _TONKS." _ She hissed at him wincing again.

She opened her eyes to look at him again, he hadn't moved. He was still standing there smiling at her; she rolled her eyes at him.

"Okay, _TONKS. _You look tired," Remus chuckled

"And now you're mocking me, excellent." Tonks grinned at him "Still I should sleep properly before I drop,"

"Exactly," Remus said opening the door. "After you,"

"You don't need to come with me Remus, it's only next door." Tonks muttered feeling a little humiliated that he thought she need an escort.

They walked a few steps down the hallway to the door, she opened it ready to walk into and then she turned to face Remus.

"Goodnight _Tonks." _He smiled at her.

"Night Remus," She said grinning and before she realised what she was doing she had put her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug.

After a few seconds she realised what she'd done and let go of him. He was still smiling at her, Tonks watched as this expression turned into a serious one, and she knew it was being reflected on her own face.

"Night," She muttered and dashed into the room without a backward glance.

* * *

**Review? :)**

**Lindore-Chan x**


	11. Chapter 11

You Had Me At Hello

**Well now. I'm changing my little message here because I DID start writing this before Christmas, in fact the 22****nd**** December buuuuut, then of course Christmas got in the way and I was going to finish it last week but then I got ill and I've had that all over New Year so I didn't end up going out. In fact I haven't done anything all week because my lungs seem to want to be coughed up. Sooo. Sorry, here is the Christmas chapter :) yaaay!  
**

**Thanks goes to all that Review and favourites etc at the end of last chapter! Also my Tumblr is full of Harry Potter stuff (WHAT ELSE WOULD IT BE FULL OF? LOL) so go check it out! X**

**

* * *

**

"Well I'm certainly not used to this,"

"To what dear?" Called the red haired plump woman from by the fire

"To this house being so...festive?" Tonks said looking around "Even Sirius is happy, he's actually singing."

"He's happy Harry's spending the holidays here of course. And after Arthurs _accident_ there was just no way we could commute from home, it was gracious for him to offer for us to stay. "

"True. How is he now?" Tonks asked sipping her tea.

"Getting much better, we're hoping he's going to be able to come home just after New Year; but we mustn't rush things." Molly said pursing her lips "Are you sure you won't come for pudding tomorrow? Kingsley and Mad-Eye are dropping in."

"No Molly, I can't. Promised Mum that this is the one Christmas I wouldn't miss any of." Tonks grinned

"Do you have a habit of missing Christmas' then?" Sirius asked strolling into the kitchen

"I don't mean too, it's just that sometimes I get called into work. Aurors are constantly on alert, especially during holidays. I can usually get about half way through my turkey and then I have to disappear." Tonks shrugged.

"We didn't get any kind of celebration in Azkaban, so count yourself lucky." Sirius said darkly "Though it would have been funny to see a Dementor with tinsel wrapped around its hood."

Tonks snorted into her tea cup as Sirius grinned at her. Molly looked around sharply from the fire she'd been trying to put out with pursed lips.

"Are all the children in bed?"

"Yeah, been in there to check their asleep and everything. I think we tired them out with all the decorating." Sirius said shrugging while Molly smiled lightly. "Why are you back here anyway? You left after you brought them home from St Mungos earlier."

"I invited her for a cup of tea because she won't be coming tomorrow." Molly smiled

"You won't?" Sirius said looking slightly crestfallen. "I know someone who'll be very disappointed!"

"Ha ha." Tonks snarled at him.

"Well, I'm tired out from trying to make this place not look like a hole." Sirius said stretching "Night, and say Merry Christmas to Andromeda for me; she always was my favourite cousin."

"Night!" Molly called and as soon as Sirius had left the kitchen she shut the door with a snap before rounding on Tonks.

"WhathaveIdone?" Tonks said instantly.

"Nothing. I just wondered if we could have a small chat woman to woman for a minute or two." Molly said feigning innocence.

"Okay..." She said slowly.

"You and Remus..."

"There is no me and Remus Molly." Tonks said a little too quickly so that Molly raised her eyebrows a little.

"I was going to say you two shared a very interesting moment the last time you stayed here." Molly with a small smile

"Oh that, I don't know what happened! We were saying goodnight and all of a sudden I lurched forward like a complete idiot and practically strangled him, before getting embarrassed and running into the spare bedroom. I haven't seen him properly for over a month because I can't face him." Tonks said burying her face in her hands.

"I was talking about the little moment you had on the stairs after your, ahem, drinking escapade with Sirius dear."

Shit! Why do I always drop myself in it?

Tonks thought. She could feel her cheeks reddening as she remembered what Molly was talking about, as the memory came flashing back to her. Her head was pounding as she'd stood at the bottom of the stairs, Molly had been questioning her and then he'd appeared. He has made no sound at all walking down the stairs, so she wasn't fully aware of his presence until he had spoken and sent shivers up her spine. She remembered taking in every detail of him down to the last scar etched in his still young face.

Tonks snapped back to reality realising that Molly had been watching her the whole time he had been day dreaming.

"Yes, you had that same dreamy expression that morning." Molly said smiling at her "So you stayed here after that I assume?"

"And made a complete prat of myself, yeah." Tonks said gloomily

"Oh, hardly. First time I saw Arthur I nearly fell down the marble staircase in front of two hundred other people." Molly sighed wistfully "But then again we were made for each other. You hugged him, that's not SO bad."

Tonks grunted folding her arms as if that settled the matter, she saw Molly recognise the fact she was going to get no more information out of Tonks that evening and stood.

"There is just one thing I need you to do for me actually before you leave," She said "Could you take a look in the drawing room desk? I think there's another Boggart in it and after what happened with the last one..."

"Sure," Tonks said shrugging following Molly out of the kitchen and upstairs into the drawing room.

"I'm going to leave you to it if that's okay? After Arthur and everything today I just need a rest." She said yawning

"It's fine. Night Molly." Tonks grinned as the small plump woman rushed up the stairs.

"Now let's see," Tonks said bending over to peer into the keyhole of one of the drawers in the ancient desk.

"It is a Boggart. I had a look myself earlier."

Tonks stood up very quickly and swayed on the spot a little. The calming voice was one she recognised all too well. She didn't dare to turn round and face the man that had caused the height of her embarrassment in front of Molly minutes previously; she stood simply facing the window listening to the footsteps approach. He was standing next to her and he'd think she was rude if she didn't turn to face him.

She braced herself as her stomach turned over completely; she turned to face Remus who was standing there serenely smiling at her. She felt her cheeks redden slightly as she looked up into his face, she smiled back at him but it was more of an abashed smile than a pure friendly one. As she did so she was more than aware of how close to her he was actually standing, before now it had been a foot at least, when she wasn't being a complete moron and throwing her arms around his neck. Tonight it was less than three inches, it had to be unless she was imaging it but she could see the even the finest lines of old scars that had long since healed on his face and Tonks had never had a very good imagination and never had she been much of a romantic.

He was just looking down at her smiling doing nothing more. She didn't know what to say, anything she did or said was likely to come out wrong or in moron. He made her so, weird. There was no way else to put it, before she had met this man she hadn't been a blithering idiot. She had been clumsy, she had ALWAYS been clumsy but he made it all ten times worse. And yet he only had to smile. Tonks memory kicked in and she had a flash of one night during the summer when she tripped over the umbrella stand, almost set Bill on fire and dropped an entire stack of plates just because he had only nodded to her as she entered the room. Normally she probably would have only done two out of three on her own clumsiness level.

"It's late," She whispered "I should probably go,"

"Probably," Remus half whispered back looking a little flushed himself. "I hear you aren't coming tomorrow?"

"No, promised Mum I'd be at home."

Oh god, now he must really think I AM a child.

Tonks thought.

"Shame, I would have liked to have seen you," He said "And the kids. They love you." He added quickly

"Well you're seeing me now aren't you?" She said smiling "I love them all too. I gave Molly Harry's Christmas Present."

"You got Harry a present?" He asked sounding surprised

"Oh nothing too big, just a small working model of a Firebolt." Tonks said shrugging "Figured he misses his actual broom, Sirius told me what happened to it."

She looked up into his face properly and saw that he was looking at her almost lovingly, maybe because she had bought Harry, a boy she'd only met on three occasions now but she found him to be as interesting as she always hoped he would be a present. He was a nice boy and she did love him in her own little way.

Tonks was so lost in her own thoughts she didn't see Remus move closer to her, she looked down as their arms brushed and felt her cheeks redden again. She kept smiling all the same; she didn't know what else to do, her feet weren't working. Half her body was screaming at her to run as far away as possible and the other was in a dull haze that was rooting her to the spot. She chanced looking up at him as now he was much to close they were only an inch apart, she brushed the hair that was flecked with grey out of his eyes. His arms reached out and placed themselves around her waist so his hands were resting on the small of her back. Lightly but with some force he closed the gap between them so nearly every little part of their bodies were touching.

Tonks smiled in spite of herself and placed her hands on his chest, very slowly his forehead came to rest against her. He just stood there with his head resting against her own, his arms wrapped around her.

"Well at least you didn't run away this time." He chuckled lightly.

Wonderful, he chooses now to try and humiliate me.

Tonks thought resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Merry Christmas Nymp-_TONKS." _

"Merry Christmas Remus," She smiled.

* * *

**Oooooh exciting no? Haha. I've just coughed my way through this, still being ill and everything. **

**Pleassssssssssssssssssse Review? And guys if your gonna favourite this, I thank you in advance but please leave a tiny review for me too? **

**Thankies! **

**Lindorie-Chan :) x**


	12. Chapter 12

You Had Me At Hello

**Well here we are again :) thanks for all the reviews and things, and obviously I'm aware Remus should get all angsty at some point, it was planned for this chapter anyway! Trust people, always trust me for I have planned it all.**

**...No seriously, I have it all mapped out on a bit of paper. I'm not joking. **Angel-of-vampires**, HIII! Haha, I was seventeen when I started writing this and I'm determined now to have it finished before the final part of DH! So thanks alot for bearing with me :D **

**Btw-** http : / mezjennifer. tumblr.com **full of HP goodness! Ahah. Anyway I'm getting on with it, yes and HOPEFULLY you all remember when this is from, if not then you fail! XD**

**

* * *

**The cold air hit her face as though someone had just thrown a bucket of icy water over her; she hopped off the bright purple bus with a small jump and waited for the man behind her to do the same, as soon as his feet had firmly touched the ground Tonks blinked and the bus was gone.

She lingered for a moment longer than she should have done, her first instinct was to get off the street as quickly as possible but she had been trying to catch her companion's attention all day but she had yet not succeeded. Every time she had looked or been thrown; thanks to the movement of the Knight bus, his way on their journey home he had politely smiled at her and then averted his gaze; nothing more and certainly nothing less.

Remus had undoubtedly seen her hovering looking at him, and he wore the same polite smile that had been plastered on his face all day. Wordlessly he moved past her and walked up the stone steps, recognising defeat once again she followed; she reached the top step just as he placed his wand to the door which magically unlocked. He stepped over the threshold soundlessly; Tonks attempted to do the same but being the clumsy woman that she was ended up stubbing her toes painfully on the umbrella stand.

Tonks' eye watered with pain as she suppressed the yelp that was dying to be free, she had managed to gulp down this urge when Molly Weasley came striding out of the door opposite them that led to the basement kitchen.

"They're all fine Molly," Said Remus at once, still not looking at Tonks. "We had no trouble getting there or back, we weren't watched or followed."

"Oh good," A gentle relief spreading over her face. "Lunch?"

"Not for me Molly, I can't say I'm very hungry." Remus said glancing up the stairs

"Sirius said the same, the moment Harry left he stalked upstairs and hasn't come down yet." Molly sighed.

Mid way through her sentence Remus was already half way up the stairs, and was not visible by the time she had finished it though his footsteps could still be heard; Tonks watched him go with a silent sadness.

He thinks I'm a child.

She thought sadly. He's actually too embarrassed to look at me properly.

"Tonks?" Molly said looking at her uncertainly "Is everything ok?"

"Yes," Tonks said barely above a whisper. "Everything's fine. I have to go, said I'd write a small report for Dumbledore anyway."

"Wouldn't you like anything...?"

Tonks didn't hear the rest of Molly's sentence for she was already outside the front door having shut it behind her. Remus hadn't spoken to her in over a week now, and it didn't look like he was going too any time soon.

* * *

The days trickled past slowly and without meaning, there had been little to do for the Order but re-doubled guard duty as Arthur was still injured and unable to do anything but his usual shift at work so as to not arouse suspicion.

"Did you sleep well 'Dora?" Ted Tonks said sitting in the chair opposite her

"Yeah," Tonks grinned "But you didn't have to keep my room exactly as it was"

It made me feel even more childish, than I already do at the moment.

Tonks thought, folding her arms. I already have a one man who thinks I'm still a child; I don't need another.

"Of course we did," Ted chuckled lightly .Tonks sat watching her father chuckle lightly to himself while pouring milk into his morning coffee."Why did you choose to stay here last night? Or did you get forced?" He said dropping his voice with a nervous glance at the open kitchen door.

"Got forced," She smirked at him and her father returned her smirk knowing all too well how forceful Andromeda Tonks could be. Ted looked over to the doorway, and quickly back at his plate taking the smile off his face as he did so; Tonks knew only one reason why he had done this. Framed in the doorway was her mother looking at the mornings _Prophet_, so unlike one of her sisters in looks, but to the other she was almost identical. Although Andromeda's eyes were wider, kinder and didn't have the haughty look of Azkaban and her was much lighter than her sisters. The difference was this morning that her features were woven into an intense frown rather than the warm smile she usually wore.

"Mum?" Tonks asked quizzically "What's wrong?"

Andromeda looked up at her daughter and then at her husband the same frown etched into her face, her expression changed into one mixed with worry when she glanced at Ted. Andromeda moved silently and placed in front of her daughter the paper she had been staring intently at. Tonks stared at the headline which read :

MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN

MINSITRY FEARS BLACK IS 'RALLYING POINT' FOR OLD DEATH EATERS

Tonks groaned and wished beyond her might that her mother hadn't seen this. Tonks had been informed last night by the Ministry this had happened, she had been there anyway when she got the message to attend the meeting in the Auror department. Unfortunately she had to call a very grouchy Heista Jones from her bed to take over her guard for she couldn't have left the door unattended. She had only been able to warn Dumbledore briefly of this development having been asked by a very suspicious Rufus Scrimgeour whether she was going home that evening. It had been here that she muttered something about going to her parents, and he insisted her escort her there 'in these dangerous times'.

"Did you know?" Andromeda gave her daughter a very searching look.

"Yes," Tonks admitted "We had a meeting at work about this last night,"

"Don't worry 'Dromeda, we're quite safe from her at the moment." Ted said giving the picture of Bellatrix Lestrange a scathing look. "We were prepared for this though, Dumbledore told us this would happen."

"I am aware of what Dumbledore said Ted, but it isn't us that I'm worried about." Andromeda said quietly looking at her daughter.

"Me?" Tonks said looking from one of her parents to the other "Surely she wants to kill all of us, not just me!"

"Eventually," Andromeda said curtly "But she is hell bent on destroying me for betraying 'the family' and to do that she has to take away the things I love most in this world."

"It won't come to that," Ted said firmly. "'Dora's been in plenty of tight spots with the Aurors and I'm sure Sirius would rather die than let anything happen to our girl."

"I suppose that' true. He always was the only other decent one in our family." Andromeda sighed looking at her husband.

"I'll be fine Mum," Tonks said smiling softly at her mother "Honestly! But I think I should leave for work now, Rufus is already suspicious of me."

Tonks hugged her mother tightly, and smiled at her reassuringly, but Andromeda still looked worried and returned to the kitchen sighing.

"Don't worry 'Dora. I'll cheer her up, you just be safe you hear?" Ted said giving her a small hug.

"I will Dad, promise."

* * *

Tonks entered the basement kitchen of Grimmauld Place that evening, annoyed and flustered. She had been subjected to whispers at work and knowing looks that she thought would come being that one of the Azkaban escapees was her aunt. But now she had an odd sense what it felt like to be Harry really, having people stare and whisper behind your back. Tonks was immensely thankful to be around people she knew, loved and respected who were staring at her or whispering, in fact most of them looked genuinely pleased to see her.

She milled around with Kingsley, he was talking to Bill about the recent development, the one that Dumbledore had warned them that was coming the previous summer. Tonks caught sight of that morning's edition of the _Prophet _laying on the table through the gaps in-between the witches and wizards standing around waiting for Dumbledore so the meeting could start. Her aunt's picture started back at her, mocking her in a way; Tonks had spent most of the day contemplating what it would be like to face this woman in a duel to the death. She harboured no doubt in any way that this woman wanted her dead, despite the fact they had never met.

Tonks saw a complete madness in Bellatrix's photograph on the front page that she had seen somewhere before, only once; in a dream she'd had in the middle of the previous summer. She remembered it now, the nightmare unlike any other she'd ever had; images flashed through her mind, both of her parents dead, the distant battle, of Death Eaters and Dementors, Dolohov duelling the still unknown man then the flash of green and her scream of horror. She knew what came next, Bellatrix bearing down upon her, wild eyed and laughing, like closing in on her unwitting prey, the next flash of light and then Remus, smiling at her.

The last image is still the oddest.

She thought, trying to frown but found she was unable too as her face and body had become very numb. When Tonks had this nightmare in the summer, it was stupid and in no way looked like it coming true; now however it had become a real possibility.

"Tonks?" Kingsleys deep voice came through the haze she seemed to have thought herself into.

"Mmm?" She said unwillingly to tear her eyes away from the paper.

"Are you alright? You seem to have become very pale," He said

"Me? Yeah, just thinking about a nightmare I had once is all." Tonks said wrenching her eyes away from the paper.

They agreed they would sit down at the table before all the seats were taken, and as she sat Tonks wished almost immediately that she hadn't chosen to sit in-between Bill and Kingsley for at the same moment she had sat down Remus sat opposite her with Sirius coming to sit on his left side.

"How's your mother?" Sirius said to her the minute he had sat down.

"She's doing fine Sirius," Tonks said attempting not to look at Remus

"Are you sure about that?" Sirius persisted

"She's a little worried but she'll be okay. Dad'll sort her out Sirius, don't worry." Tonks said looking at her cousin with a sudden urge to hug him for the look of seriousness that was on his face.

"We're all worried about this Tonks," Sirius said firmly his expression mingled with pain now.

"You know, they're trying to blame you for this?" She asked him pointing at the paper which was laying at the other end of the table.

"Yes, and he found it highly amusing after swearing at it first,"

Tonks' eyes flitted to Remus for a second, and she was shocked to see he was no longer avoiding her gaze or ignoring her. She had a sudden flashback to the night she had her nightmare, to how she had walked into this very kitchen and cried about it to Remus, who instead of laughing at her and calling her child had hugged her and told her everything would be alright. He was now giving her the same intense stare he had in all those Order meetings previously; the one that made her uncomfortable.

Tonks felt her stomach squirm uncomfortably, and her cheeks flush. She looked away from him toward Sirius who had been watching her the entire time and now had a small smirk plastered on his face. The room had fallen into a hushed silence, and framed in the doorway was the greatest wizard known alive to man at that very moment.

* * *

**Please Revieeew ? :) **

**Lindorie-Chan x**


	13. Chapter 13

You Had Me At Hello

**Yes I'm aware it's been well over three weeks, I have been a little bit busy with job hunting and that's a pain in the ass and spending most of my time hovering around my tumblr! **

.sean.d –** I wasn't getting annoyed with all the reviews, don't be foolish! I say keep 'em coming aha.**

**This is chapter is totally for Eva and Kerry! Who have been so nice to me about this fic the last couple of days that it's made me smile ALOT, and because we're all tumblr buddies anyway (that's how we found out about each other's awesomeness) and BECAUSE I HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FOR THEM RIGHT NOW. 3 XXX  
**

**

* * *

**Tonks swore quietly she was having problems doing up the top button on her jacket, her fingers were cold and stiff. One thing she was sure about Grimmauld Place was; the house had only been designed to be warm in certain rooms and the hallway definitely wasn't one of them. The Order meeting had finished half an hour ago but Sirius had kept her behind asking yet more questions about her mother.

It's nice he's concerned.

She thought smiling to herself. Tonks sighed leaving the button undone and swinging her cloak around her shoulders. Though, I wish Remus wouldn't give me that intense stare all the time if he knew it made me as giddy as a school girl I doubt he'd do it.

Remus had spent most of the time after the meeting talking to Kingsley and Bill about what the escaped Death Eaters meant for the Order, and how much more danger they were all in but every so often she saw him glance up at her with a worried expression. Tonks lost in her own thoughts vaguely heard footsteps approaching.

"Tonks? I thought you'd left already?" Kingsley's voice rang through her ears. Although he was speaking softly to avoid waking the portrait of Mrs Black, his voice was still very deep and soothing.

"I tried but I got accosted by Sirius," She grinned at him. "He's worried Bellatrix is going to break into my flat and smother me to death."

"I wouldn't put it past her," Kingsley replied frowning "Sirius isn't the only one worried about you. Remus seemed quite concerned for your well being this evening."

Tonks heart leapt and her stomach clenched, her happiness that Remus Lupin could worry about her was over whelming. She was aware that she was attempting to grin like an idiot but the force of Kingsley's stare was stopping her, as he might not appreciate the fact that she found Remus worrying over her a good thing.

"Why?" She asked trying to seem very nonchalant and not succeeding as the grin was fighting its way to the surface. She was pressing Kingsley into giving her information, she knew she was and she couldn't help it.

"Perhaps he shares the same worry as Sirius?" Kingsley suggested "He didn't say."

"Oh." Tonks said feeling her urge to grin fade a little.

"But needless to say we are all a little worried about you," He smiled at her genuinely, clearly meaning her to get the impression that he was her loyal caring friend as well as a colleague and fellow freedom fighter.

Tonks clapped her hands gently in delight before throwing her arms around his shoulders. She felt the wizard chuckle slightly and stiffen a little.

"Kingsley," She laughed "Are you not used to being hugged?"

"Hugged? Yes Nymphadora, throttled? Not quite." Kingsley snorted.

"Sorry." She said releasing him with a wide grin. Kingsley smiled down at her with genuine affection like that of a brother looking at his younger but slightly clumsy sister.

Something shifted to the left of them; both she and Kingsley looked at once. Remus was standing in the door way that led down to the kitchen, looking remarkably stiff and a little angry. Tonks looked at Kingsley and then back at Remus' rather hardened stare.

"Time for me to leave I think, I shall see you in the morning Tonks." Kingsley said clearing his throat "Goodnight Remus."

Remus did nothing; he nodded his head a fraction of an inch but remained quite still. Tonks heard the front door open and close vaguely but she never took her eyes off Remus.

Why isn't he moving? She thought, Oh. He doesn't think Kingsley and I...surely not. He looks so angry. Tonks was surveying Remus carefully; he was still staring at the spot Kingsley had just vacated.

"Remus," Tonks said quietly. His eyes snapped to her for a moment they fixed her with the same hard stare before he blinked and he seemed to come back to himself a little.

"Yes Nymphadora?" He said pleasantly, his tone was light and airy.

"Are you okay?" Tonks half whispered taking a step towards him.

"I'm fine." He replied curtly.

Tonks felt foolish, he had looked like he was going to attack Kingsley and all because she had almost strangled the poor man.

"It was my fault," Tonks spluttered before she could stop herself "He was just being a nice! A friend kind of nice of course not an interested in me kind of nice obviously. He was just worried about me; he said you all were which is lovely. Just a reminder that he has my back basically and because I'm a complete fool I lunged forward and strangled him, there wasn't _anything_ in it." Tonks had put emphasis on the word anything because somewhere inside she desperately needed him to understand she had no interest in Kingsley.

Remus looked for a moment as though relief and amusement had spread over his features at her words, though he quickly shook it off. He opened his mouth to say something but soon closed it again when footsteps could be heard stomping towards them, within moments Sirius had joined them both in the hallway.

"I thought you'd left already?" Sirius asked looking from her pleading expression to Remus' newly re-arranged features. "Oho! I'm sorry did I interrupt one of your precious moments alone? Well. Pardon me." He smirked.

"Goodnight Sirius," She scowled at him. She threw one last looked a Remus before opening the front door and stepping out into the freezing air.

Tonks sighed as she proceeded down the steps of number twelve onto the street before her, she hoped in that one moment they had of her pleading to Remus to understand that Kingsley was nothing more than a friend she cared deeply for and nothing else was understood by him. Tonks wanted him to know more than anyone that Kingsley was _only_ her friend, although he rather looked like he was going to say something to her before Sirius had rudely interrupted them.

I can't get over that look on his face. He must have seen me throw my arms around Kingsley like a complete fool, he looked so angry. But why? He had no reason to be at all, he couldn't possibly be jealous because he thought that I was throwing myself at Kingsley?

No.

Tonks thought, that's completely absurd. She turned around to look at Grimmauld Place once more before she dis apparated. The idea of Remus Lupin being jealous was completely ridiculous.

* * *

Tonks pointed her wand straight at the retreating back of a man that was hooded and cloaked; she took aim but missed as the force of the wind had knocked her wand slightly out of place. She stumbled forward through the sodden ground beneath her feet in an attempt to catch up to him. She knew without a doubt who was hidden beneath this Death Eater attire she had seen a small flick of white blond hair when he had tried to curse her and Kingsley ever so gallantly had flung her out of harm's way and now lay injured and bleeding at least ten feet behind her.

He was bleeding, she knew this but Mad Eye had appeared within seconds by, as he had so eloquently put it 'following the sounds of her swearing' to try and heal Kingsley. Tonks enraged, had stalked on ignoring both men's requests to stay where she was, ready to find and hurt as much of Malfoy as she could get at. She took aim again, this time with a completely clear shot when someone grabbed her wrist and started pulling her away, back towards where Mad-Eye and Kingsley were.

Tonks looked at her captor and realised immediately that it was Emmeline Vance who was dragging her none so gently backwards. Tonks saw her lift her other arm up and Mad-Eye grasp it with his hand while supporting the now dangerously limp form of Kingsley. She felt Emmeline turn on the spot, Tonks' feet slipped dangerously on the mud of the field that she had been staggering through, but Emmeline's grasp on her wrist did not slacken and Tonks felt herself being pulled into crushing darkness.

Her feet found the solid ground of the street outside Grimmauld Place, Emmeline realised the grip she had on Tonks but still said nothing to her, she instead turned to Mad-Eye.

"You need to get him to 's Mad-Eye, neither of us can heal him and he's still losing alot of blood." Emmeline croaked her eyes a little wide with fear, she sound as though she had all but lost her voice to the wind which was now ripping through the deserted field they had just left.

"We'd both best take him, we'll make up a story but I can't hold him on my own much longer." Mad-Eye huffed struggling under Kingsley's weight. "Nymphadora, get word to Dumbledore! I don't care how you do it, just do it quickly."

Emmeline heaved herself under the other of Kingsley's shoulders in an effort to support him, Tonks nodded at Mad-Eye unable to say anything else; they both turned and were gone quicker than a blink of an eye. Tonks looked up at the house that loomed before her, the street was quiet almost dead in a way for there was no wind here, it was being obscured by the houses that stood in its way.

She hadn't been to headquarters in over three weeks, she had missed Sirius considerably yet she had trained herself not to think of Remus at all for when she did Tonks found herself feeling empty and rather hollow. The more she had thought about Remus in those few days after the Kingsley incident the more sorry she became that Remus himself had witnessed it; when she attempted to sleep the memory of his angry face swam before her. It had taken Tonks a week to block this out and not think about him or anything to do with him at all, it had been difficult but eventually she'd managed it.

Tonks stood outside the door for a moment before sighing; she took her wand from her pocket and tapped it against the door. The locks clicked and the door swung open to reveal the darkened hallway of Grimmauld Place, Tonks stepped over the threshold shutting the door quietly behind her. The air in the house was still very musty; the whole place just smelt of neglect to her, she padded forwards quietly unsure of whether anyone was actually in the basement kitchen. As she moved further into the house she saw a light flowing down the stairs which meant that someone was in the drawing room on the first floor.

Tonks started to climb the stairs quietly which was a new achievement for her. Normally by now she would have alerted the whole house to her presence simply by tripping over the umbrella stand, she reached the landing and crossed the few steps to the door which stood ajar; Tonks was blinded by the light for a few second before the room was thrown into sharp relief. Sirius sat slumped in a chair with a bottle of Fire Whisky, which was nearly empty by his side, he was facing the fire and almost half asleep.

"Moony, when you're finished just standing in the doorway," He hiccoughed without looking up "I need you to finish this last drop for me."

"What on earth makes you think I'm Remus?" Tonks giggled at Sirius, who looked over at her immediately.

"What the hell happened to you?" Sirius gaped trying to sit up straighter in his chair.

"Kingsley and I found out through work that there had been suspicious activity near some old shack up north. Dawlish had seen cloaked figures that had been lurking all day around one particular area, but when he reported it to Scrimgeour he shrugged it off as nothing major." Tonks re-called, vaguely aware the bottom half of her was thick crusted with mud and she was giving off an aroma of sweat and blood.

"Of course he did, ministry prat." Sirius snorted. "So you and Kingsley went to investigate?"

"Well after we'd gotten the say so from Dumbledore to check it out, obviously. But he sent Mad-Eye and Emmeline along too in case it was a trap." Tonks sniffed feeling her nose start to run. "We weren't even within fifty feet of the place and Death Eaters had appeared, one of them most definitely was Malfoy. A few of them kept Mad-Eye and Emmeline busy and Malfoy went straight for me,"

"What happened? Are you hurt?" Sirius asked trying to jump up immediately and check her for injuries, but fail due to his drunken stupor.

"I'm fine, he shot a curse at me but Kingsley shoved me completely out of harm's way and got hit. Emmeline and Mad-Eye have taken him to St Mungos and I need to tell Dumbledore what's happening." Tonks said shooting a fleeting glance at the fireplace.

"Forget it," Sirius said immediately sitting back down on the edge of his armchair "That toad woman is policing the fireplaces, she'll catch you,"

Tonks took out her wand and summoned her patronus to her, a chameleon looked at her for a few seconds before she flicked her wand and it vanished. She had sent it to Dumbledore to tell him that she needed to contact him urgently. Within seconds there was a flash of bright light around the room, and Fawkes was rising out of the fire; he stuck out his leg rather like an owl about to depart to deliver a letter would.

Tonks ran to the old writing desk that sat in the corner and quickly scribbled down what had happened that evening and where everybody now stood, with a quick sentence asking if Dumbledore could find how Kingsley was. She rolled it up and attached it to the Phoenix's leg who then disappeared in another flash of red.

She looked at Sirius who was till gazing into the fireplace at where the birds head had just been, he smelt of stale drink and his eyes were reflecting a great sadness.

"So, why the party?" Tonks asked looking down at the drinks bottle beside his chair.

"What? Oh." Sirius replied looking up at her "I didn't drink it all myself so don't panic, Remus helped."

"But why?" She pressed, sitting herself on the rug in front of the fire and pulling off her mud stained boots.

"It would have been Lily's birthday today." A soft voice carried from the door.

Tonks looked up and saw Remus leaning against the doorframe, she knew the full moon was tomorrow but he looked worse than ever. He was shabbier in a way, not in his clothes but his hair was a little more ragged than usual, his scars darker and more defined but his eyes were the worst. They reflected the same sadness as Sirius'; Remus was looking down at her clearly puzzled at her less than clean appearance.

"And why are you caked in mud?" He asked.

"She'll explain Moony, but I think I'm just going to head to bed." Sirius said heaving himself out of the chair. He smiled briefly at Tonks before walking to the door where his best friend stood. They looked at each other briefly before Sirius grasped Remus' shoulder and disappeared.

Remus came over the threshold and surprisingly sat on the floor opposite her with his back against the chair. The lines in his face looked deepened in the firelight, and his face was aglow. His eyes stood out more than ever, and Tonks found herself almost gravitating toward him.

"What happened?" He asked her again, snapping her back to reality.

Tonks explained, only pausing to stop for breath occasionally. Her stomach was turning over every few seconds; she felt her cheeks flushing Remus was staring at her so intently Tonks felt like his eyes were trying to search her soul.

"Are you hurt?" He said his eyes searching her again; he seemed to struggle with himself slightly. Clearly torn between whether he should stay still or begin checking her physically himself for injuries.

"No I'm fine," Tonks said shivering under his intense gaze.

He seemed to accept this and settle into silence, still gazing at her.

I wish he wouldn't keep staring at me like that

Tonks thought, it's always so intense. I know he's only trying to give me his full attention but it's like he's always struggling with some sort of decision.

"So you and Sirius were trying to do what by draining almost an entire bottle of Fire-Whisky?" She asked smiling at him.

"Nothing really, we were talking about old times." Remus said looking away from her finally and focussing on the floor. "Lily would have been thirty six today had she lived."

Tonks felt instantly ashamed of herself, and wished she'd never asked. Remus looked even more downcast that he had when he had first sat down; he was silently wringing his hands in his lap.

Oh god, what have I done? I should have minded my own business. He clearly doesn't want to talk about it or be reminded that he no longer has two of his best friends. He must think I'm so insensitive.

Tonks thought, looking around the room for something to distract him and her eyes fell on the table next to the chair and she saw two small glasses sitting there; she reached up and grabbed both along with the bottle of Fire-Whisky that was next to Remus. He looked up clearly puzzled by what she was doing; she knelt and poured the remaining liquid into equal levels in each glass. She handed him one, she kept the other.

"To Lily," She said holding her glass in her air.

Remus looked quite shocked for a moment; his eye brows rose slightly and disappeared into his over long fringe. Then he smiled at her.

"To Lily," He repeated holding his own glass aloft and they both drained their glasses in one.

Tonks looked at him and grinned, but she felt a shiver go down her spine and shock wave through her stomach because he was looking at her, with only a small smile but she could see the affection in eyes reflected only by the firelight. Tonks felt her cheeks flush, a feeling that spread throughout her, and she realised she still had her back to the fire.

Tonks has no idea what made her move but a sudden force of wanting to be next to him had completely taken over her. She crawled across the floor to sit next to him, and he watched her till she was sitting with her knees hunched up to her chest beside him.

"Remus," She said softly staring into the fire aware that he was still watching her. "You remember a few weeks ago?"

"When you almost throttled Kingsley in the hallway? Yes I remember," He said his tone hardening a little.

"I didn't mean too, well, that is to say I didn't mean to jump on him like that and I certainly never meant to throttle him. I get a little too over enthusiastic when it comes to friendly hugs." Tonks said never taking her eyes off the dancing flames.

"I had noticed Nymphadora," Remus chuckled slightly "I remember the time you nearly strangled me before dashing into the bedroom and closing the door behind you,"

Wonderful,

Tonks thought as she shuddered at the mention of her name. Why must he remember every little detail of my stupidity?

"But," She said treading carefully, one wrong move and he could end up not speaking to her again for another few weeks. "You seemed a little peeved when I hugged Kingsley."

Tonks felt his gaze move off her instantly; he was now too staring at the fire. He cleared his throat a little too loudly.

"I wasn't expecting to see you hugging him that's all," He said his voice sound strained.

They sat in silence for a few minutes; Tonks could clearly see that she wasn't going to be able to press him for anymore information that evening without him running a mile. He had a certain way of telling her he didn't want to talk about anything, not with words just with the tone of his voice. Tonks sighed and put her held on his shoulder, still watching the firelight flicker inside the square room. She felt Remus stiffen instantly; he was obviously not used to this small level of affection. And that what it was; complete affection for him, and only him. Tonks heard him inhale rather sharply, but he didn't move for which she was grateful.

"Tell me about them," She said quietly. "Lily and James, I mean,"

Tonks felt his head turn to look down at the top of hers; she felt him relax beneath her and above all she felt rather than saw him smile this time.

"What would you like to know?" He asked her softly

"Tell me some stories about them." She mused quietly closing her eyes

"Alright," He chuckled "How about the time James decided it would be a good idea to attempt flipping backwards off his broom and landing in front of Lily to impress her at the beginning of our fifth year?"

"Sounds good," Tonks yawned snuggling further into his shoulder. She heard him sigh, and put his head down against hers.

Her stomach flipped over but she ignored it, for once she was happy and rather settled in the company of Remus Lupin and nothing was going to change that now.

* * *

**This has been a complete labour of love the past few days and I HAVE DEPRIVED MYSELF OF MANY HOURS OF SLEEP FOR IT.**

**Cos its half 2 here again, and I need to sleeeeeeeeeeeep.**

**But this took me so long, because I wrote it, hated it because it was TERRIBLE and now Ive re-done the entire thing and it's twice as long. I COULDNT BE HAPPIER RIGHT NOW. And i KNOW theres alot of Kingsley in it but I have ALOT of love for him, complete BAMF.  
**

**Reviews, please? : ) **

**Lindorie-Chan**


	14. Chapter 14

You Had Me At Hello

**So yeah, here's chapter fourteen! The reviews and feedback were greatly appreciated! :D and ****Georgiaaxxx**** i don't choose to write at that time in the morning, believe me I would rather be sleeping but I'm something of a 'night owl' and not a morning person. And you know, when inspiration strikes I must write. So that's why! :D**

**

* * *

**

Tonks moved her head a little, although her neck was hurting; her head remained perfectly comfortable although with what felt like a heavy weight on top of it. She opened her eyes a little, to find that she was still sitting in front of the fire; that was now almost dead, in the drawing room of Grimmauld Place. The room was alot colder than it had been when she had entered, especially the hard floor on which she was still sitting, Tonks let her eyes travel downwards to find the her hand had wondered during her brief nap, and that it was now resting on Remus' left knee.

I actually wonder if he's asleep, it would be too cruel to wake him if he is.

Tonks thought sighing inwardly. Her neck was more painful than anything, as she was numb from the waist downwards; she listened intently but nothing in the house was moving or making a sound, all she could hear was her own short breaths and the sound of Remus' deep ones. The pain aside Tonks was rather enjoying the fact that Remus seemed to be snuggled up at her and very the most part very much asleep. The sound of his deep breathing was like music to her ears, if he was happy to sleep in her presence then clearly he was a little more comfortable around her than probably even he realised. Her stomach was clenching and then fluttering, repeating the process at least thirty times a minute; all was well, for Remus was there and nothing hurt.

I wonder how long we've been like this, and if Sirius has seen.

She thought darkly, cursing the fact that she knew if he had seen them they would never hear the end of 'their cosy night by the fire'. A small smile flickered onto her face at the word 'their', the thought of them two of them together snuggled like this all the time my her insides glow with happiness. Tonks was immersed in her thoughts of her and Remus, but not so lost that her ears had stopped working; there was a small creak on the stairs and forgetting the world around her and the fact that Remus head was resting gently on hers, her head shot up immediately.

Remus had evidently been asleep but the disgruntled noise he had made when his head was forced into an upright position. Tonks looked at him, and he seemed to understand from the seriousness of her features that having had the choice she wouldn't have moved at all. She turned round to look at the door as it was slowly being pushed open, Tonks was ready. She had been trained for intruders years ago, her hand travelled to her pocket, ready to strike. Her eyes found the face of the woman that had now almost fully walked into the room and her insides though remaining a little clenched unfroze. Emmeline Vance was sauntering into the room; her robes still thick with mud and what looked like heavy amounts of blood.

"Oh thank god," Tonks breathed

"I thought I mind find you here," Emmeline said her eyes wondering to Remus for a second "You weren't at your flat and this is the last place we left you."

"How's Kingsley?" Remus interjected from behind Tonks

"He's doing well, they're going to keep him until the morning just for observation he took quite a nasty wound to his chest." Emmeline sighed "We made up some story about Auror training which they bought, luckily. I can't stop though I'm on my way to see Dumbledore. He says he has a job for us to do in a couple of days Tonks, but he wants to see me in person."

Remus hummed his appreciation at the news of Kingsley's well being, Tonks was relived he was going to be okay but her insides were still as cold as ice.

"Would you like a hot drink or anything before you leave?" Remus asked

"No, I couldn't. I supposed to be meeting Dumbledore in the Hogs Head for a _friendly_ drink." Emmeline said smiling "Throws old toady off the scent a little I suppose. So I'll see you in a couple of days I guess,"

Tonks nodded weakly as Emmeline walked out of the room, the chill in her insides was getting worse. She heard Remus call a rather hurried goodbye to Emmeline before he stood up behind her.

"Do you have to work tomorrow?" He said in his soft tone of voice.

"Yeah," Tonks said slowly getting to her feet, with her back still toward him. Although her feet had regained feeling, her legs were still a little unsure and she felt rather like she was floating than standing.

Kingsley was alive, she was thankful for that; she wouldn't have been able to live with her self knowing that he'd flung her aside to protect her and it had cost him his life. Tonks had been in a great many life threatening situations, such was her job and way of life; she had never been scared or one to seize up. And yet, her insides were stiff as a board.

It could have been me,

She thought. It should have been me. Kingsley shouldn't have tried to save me, gallant and heroic though it was; it wasn't his duty. I should be laying in 's right now with a wound in my chest. Tonks' eyes were staring to sting, she couldn't help it; she was an adult, and this was a full blown war but she found herself not wanting to say goodbye to any one of her friends despite it all.

"Nymphadora..?" Remus asked "Is there something the matter?"

Tonks turned around to face him, her vision almost blurred now.

"No," Tonks sniffed "I'm being stupid."

Remus looked shocked for a moment before his face softened completely, he raised his arms slowly and Tonks' feet compelled her forwards until she found the soft wool of his jumper against her face. His arms enveloped her immediately with one hand resting on her small one her back and the just below her neck. Tonks' arms moved on their own accord, snaking up his back gently until they rested on his shoulder blades, Remus shivered a little at her touch but didn't move. She let her tears fall, not caring that they were staining his jumper.

"You aren't being stupid at all," Remus said to the top of her head which his chin was now resting against.

"Kingsley's going to be fine, but it should have been me." She sniffed rubbing her forehead against his chest. "It should have been me."

Remus said nothing but his whole body stiffened, and his arms tightened around her.

"But it wasn't," He said shakily "It wasn't. And everything's okay."

"I just don't want to say goodbye to any of you," She whispered into his chest.

Remus' hand moved from her back and worked it's to the top of her hair, he gently ran his fingers through it and Tonks felt her eyes flutter shut at his soothing touch.

"I know. After living through it, I know." He sighed into her hair. Tonks shivered as his breath caught the top of her ear, and she raised her head slightly so that her nose was gently pressing to his neck. He stiffened completely; he was clearly unused to this closeness. His hand left her hair, his arm moved from her back and Tonks felt herself being slowly pulled away from his warmth by her shoulders.

"I can't promise you that no one will get hurt Nymphadora," He sighed looking just as upset as she felt "But we can hold out hope that what we're trying to do in the Order is in the best interests for everyone in this world. We'll make it a better place. Though I think it may be time for you to go home, to bed."

Tonks nodded, and smiled weakly her eyes now sore. Remus' hands rose slowly from her shoulders to the sides of her face, he looked down at her for a moment before kissing her forehead lightly. Tonks' whole body elated at the contact, she stomach wound itself into knots and her heart was doing back flips.

"Would it kill you to call me Tonks, Remus?" She sighed grinning at him

"Maybe," He chuckled releasing her.

"Goodnight Remus," She smiled

"Goodnight Nymphadora,"

And when he laughed, she scowled.

* * *

"So it was Karkaroff who was hiding out in that shack," Tonks asked as she and a dark haired woman picked their way through another muddy field a few days later.

"Mhm," Emmeline nodded casting her eyes around for movement

"So that's why the Death Easters were hanging around, they were hoping to eliminate him for good," Tonks snorted darkly "And why we almost got ourselves killed."

"Well they've been hanging around that place, waiting for him to come back according to Dumbledore," Emmeline sighed "But he's already moved on, and supposedly were on our way to him now,"

Tonks remembered the conversation they had before they had departed her flat, the orders from Dumbledore were to simply find Karkaroff and offer him their help and protection, and he had not been seen since the pervious June when he had fled the last task of the Triwizard Tournament. Tonks and Emmeline struggled up another muddy hill to see that they were on top of a cliff overlooking an island with rocks all around the banks and a beaten wooden shack that stood in the centre of the isle, slowing swaying in the gentle breeze.

Although the sun had almost fully set, they could see the remnants of a boat that had smashed against the rocks on the shore. Emmeline looked at Tonks for a moment and sighed. They would have to apparate over to the small island. Emmeline moved as to turn on the spot, but Tonks grabbed her wrist and made her stand still.

Something about this isn't right.

Tonks thought, surveying the island cautiously. Emmeline was giving her a questioning look.

"I think only one of us should go," Tonks said slowly "That way if it's a trap, then the Order only looses one of us not both." Emmeline looked shocked for a moment but nodded and made to turn on the spot again, but Tonks' grip on her wrist stayed firm and unwavering.

"And I think it should be me, I'm the Auror here,"

"Tonks no, I really think..."

But her words was lost as Tonks had already let go of her wrist and turned into crushing darkness. She regretted this almost instantly, as soon as her feet touched the floor she felt a something hard and painful hit her back and the lights in her world went out.

"...what happened to her Emmeline? Why the hell weren't you standing with her?"

She had never heard Remus so angry before, his voice was hard and almost brittle.

"It's not my fault Remus, she apparated over to that island with no warning!" Emmeline shot back sounded doubly as angry as him.

Tonks moved her head slowly, she felt as though she had been unconscious for days, when in reality it had probably only been a few hours at most. She opened her eyes to find that her own duvet had been pulled across her, she was still wearing her robes but her feet felt bare but she was in her own bed and her own flat.

"No warning!" He spat "Of course she didn't give you a warning, she was trying to save your life and it almost cost her; her own!"

"Remus!" Emmeline protested "She's going to be fine. She'll have that scar for the rest of her life but it's lucky I was actually there to get to her or she would have bled to death!"

Remus snorted in a way that sounded so unlike him, Tonks could hardly believe it. She carefully sat upwards, the pain in her back searing. Tonks definitely knew she had a scar there, her skin felt like it had been split open and sewn harshly back together again, and her hand flew to it unconsciously. She swung her legs gently out of bed to see that her jeans and robes has been removed, she was only wearing her knickers and an old Weird Sisters t shirt which felt dry and stiff in the middle of her back.

I feel like utter hell,

Tonks thought, staggering up out of bed. She limped uncertainly to the doorframe and lent against it. Remus had his back to her but Emmeline was standing directly opposite him, so she saw her immediately and her face contorted with worry.

"Tonks! You shouldn't be out of bed!"

Remus turned around instantly to face her, he looked furious and he was paler than she had ever seen him.

"I'm fine," Tonks said addressing Emmeline "Just a little back pain is all. What happened?"

"You were right," She said simply "But it wasn't a trap for us. It was Karkaroff; he set up an intruder perimeter around that shack. And when you apparated onto the island it set it off, he was pointing his wand at you from a window."

"But what happened after I passed out? Did he agree to Dumbledore's protection or...?" Tonks spluttered

"When he realised what he had done to you he dis-apparated, I didn't get the chance to tell him." Emmeline said weakly. Tonks sighed; she had been knocked out for nothing.

Emmeline looked nervously between Remus and Tonks, Remus had not said anything for several minutes, his gaze hadn't faltered either, it was fixed on Tonks. Tonks felt her cheeks flushing, she had just realised she had wondered into her leaving in nothing but her knickers in front of Remus.

Tonks kept on looking at Emmeline not wanting to look at Remus.

"I should get back to Headquarters, Mad-Eye and Kingsley should have arrived by now, they will want to know how you are," Emmeline said "Coming, Remus?"

"No." He said flatly

Emmeline looked very much taken aback by his abruptness but accepted it just the same. She smiled apologetically at Tonks before letting herself out of the flat. There was silence for a minute, and Tonks let her gaze travel to Remus, who was no longer looking angry, he looked worried and saddened.

Before Tonks could even open her mouth, he had crossed the room and gathered her in his arms. Tonks surprised even herself by not being shocked in the slightest and throwing her arms around his neck. Remus was holding on to her tightly, it was causing searing pain in her back, but she didn't care. She needed this.

Tonks felt her cheeks flush, and her stomach clench, but she couldn't bring herself to care one inch. He needed her, he was so relived she was alive and he was showing it by pressing her to him like she would break if he let go.

"Are you alright?" He whispered into her hair.

"I'm fine, really Remus. I am." She said softly into his shoulder.

She had no clue how long they stood there, but it was a wonderful feeling that Remus Lupin cared that much for her, that he was exposing himself this much. Normally he was so defended and closed off to the world, but maybe now, just for her a little part of what he really felt was starting to shine through.

"When you didn't turn up for dinner like you promised Sirius, he got worried and contacted Dumbledore, by that time Emmeline had already brought you back here." He said softly

Tonks pulled away from him with her arms still around his neck.

"Let's be honest Remus, it wasn't just Sirius who was worried."Tonks said, she expected him to pull away like he had done before, but instead he stayed where he was, his hands on her scantily clad hips.

"No," He said quietly putting his forehead against hers "It wasn't only Sirius who was completely out of his mind with worry,"

Tonks' heart started beating faster, she felt like there was a marathon going on inside her chest. His eyes were searching her face for reassurance she wasn't going to vanish when he let her go. She moved quicker than he was able to grasp, her body had completely taken over and her mind was numb. Tonks pulled her forehead away from his moving one of her hands at the same time to stroke one of his cheeks; she snaked her head round to his other cheek and kissed him gently before pulling away and smiling at him.

His cheeks were flushed but she could tell he was quietly pleased with this contact, she kept smiling re-assuring him that it was okay for them to be like this; it didn't always have to be a battle where the secretive serious side of him always won out.

"You should go and tell Sirius that I'm not broken before he starts pulling his hair out, and I should probably put on some bottoms," Tonks giggled.

Remus came to himself slightly, his though still a little hazy looked down and then looked up again immediately, and Tonks suppressed a laugh because he was obviously cursing himself for being so obvious about it.

"I suppose," He smiled softly at her before taking his arms from around her.

Tonks instantly missed him, he was standing less than a foot away but she missed him. She missed his warm gentle touch and the sound of his voice in her ear. Her heart was still aflutter, and she wanted nothing more than to fling her arms back around his shoulders.

"Try not to get yourself into anymore trouble?" He asked hopefully

"I'll try, but with my clumsiness and apparent lack of sense; I make no promises." She grinned at him, and his face blossomed into a warm smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" He smiled and flushed when she nodded. "Night Nymphadora," He turned on the spot and was gone.

Tonks smile faded instantly, she hadn't minded that he had called her Nymphadora but she didn't want him to leave. The whole place felt empty without him in, it had never felt like this to her before; it had always been her haven but without his warmth and brilliant smile the place felt lonely and cold. She walked back into her bedroom, and grabbed her torn jeans that were thrown over the back of a chair; she put them on along with a jumper and her cloak.

She missed him. She wanted him to stay with her forever. She loved his laugh, and the smile that was so often on his face and in his eyes when he was with her.

Tonks turned slowly on the spot, for her tiredness seemed to be getting the better of her now, but she paid it no mind at all. Soon she was hopping over a fence and making her way towards an over large house that sat just a few metres away, there was one light in the kitchen that was still on. She knocked on the door quite loudly; the woman who lived here with her vast family was so often asleep at this table at night time now waiting for her husband to come home that it had become common practice to see this light on until the early hours of the morning. The back door of the house opened, and there stood a plump woman, with fiery red hair. Her expression read one of shock and confusion.

"Wotcher Molly," Tonks said blearily

"Goodness Tonks, I was expecting Arthur," Molly said yawning

"Sorry," Tonks sighed "I think I have a problem that's all."

"With what dear?" The red haired woman enquired

"I think I'm falling in love with Remus."

* * *

**YES THATS WHERE IM ENDING IT. AHAHA. I'm so tired you have no idea.**

**Everyone's feedback its muchly appreciated! :D** **and reviews help to update faster no? Ahaha**

**Please? :D**

**Lindorie-Chan** xx


	15. Chapter 15

You Had Me At Hello

**Chapter 15! I never thought I'd get this far in retrospect tbh, but Eva and Kerry have been egging me on. So this again is dedicated to them and their sheer brilliance! Thanks for all the reviews, and feedback it all made my day! Now then reviewers if you have tumblr, there's a link to mine on my profile come join the three of us and our madness there!**

**

* * *

**

The red haired woman sighed, putting a cup down in front of a very bleary eyed Tonks who was now sitting at the table in the kitchen of the Burrow. Molly Weasley had almost dragged her inside the house on hearing Tonks' confession; she had sat Tonks in a chair and headed straight to the stove; all the while proceeding to say nothing. Tonks had explained the day's events to Molly leaving out what happened at her flat after Emmeline had left. Molly had nodded and gasped but still said nothing, not even when she held a cup full of boiling tea out to her. Tonks took the cup into her hands feeling the warmth of it burn her palms a little; she didn't look up as Molly sat down opposite her with her own cup. Tonks continued to stare at the steam rising from the liquid in the white china mug, not caring that Molly was trying to hear through sheer force of will what was going on inside her own head.

"Tonks," Molly sighed "When I asked you about this at Christmas you brushed it off,"

"I know, but I didn't know what I was feeling then! I thought it was just a silly school girl crush and it would slowly ebb away like most of my others have done."

"But love doesn't ebb away, it just gets stronger as time goes on," Molly stated "I'm assuming something happened tonight that pushed it over the edge and out into the open?"

"Not really," Tonks said shaking her head as she lifted her cup to sip at her tea.

"Then how did you come to that sudden realisation?" Molly asked her softly

"I missed him," Tonks said simply thinking about the empty feeling she had experienced when Remus had let go of her and stepped away. "He was hugging me and when he let go, I just, missed him. He was standing less than a foot away but,"

"You felt like he was light-years away from you." Molly finished for her and sighed again when Tonks nodded. "Yes, I'm familiar with that feeling, that's how I felt when I was your age and Arthur let go of me, it still happens to me really, not just with him; but with the children as well."

"It's been coming on so gradually that I didn't realise what was happening," Tonks said weakly "When I met him, he was just this man that was friends with a relative of mine. Of course, he was completely charming and I liked him the moment he introduced himself. Were friends but these, things, I don't know what else to call them just keep happening."

"Moments, dear, they're called moments." Molly said quietly eying Tonks with interest

"Whenever I'm upset I need to be near him. In the summer when I had a horrific nightmare, he'd known me barely weeks then; he held me and told me everything would be okay. When he looks at me it's always so intense and my body seems to get a mind of its own, that's how I end up making myself look childish and like I'm not in control," Tonks scowled whilst Molly smiled lightly.

"But sometimes I think; it's not just me. He can be so guarded, and so in control of himself, sometimes I can see another part of him just behind his eyes, it's just like there's another part of him that wants to be free..." Tonks said quietly looking up at Molly. "What on earth is funny?"

"Nothing is funny dear, I'm marvelling at how you're starting to see what I've been seeing for months," Molly smiled and Tonks grunted folding her arms.

"I don't know how this happened," Tonks sighed putting her hands over her eyes "He was Remus and now he's _Remus_. I want nothing more than to knock the wall down that he's built for himself, but every time I get close to even trying he backs off, he doesn't talk to me, he won't even so much as _look_ at me,"

"He wouldn't look at you after Christmas," Molly said quietly

"Oh, on Christmas Eve when you asked me to look in the drawing room for that stupid Boggart, Remus came in. He was just standing there, way too close to me. He put his arms around me and wished me a 'Merry Christmas' he said he'd miss not having me there on Christmas Day; he looked completely embarrassed by the whole thing actually. Looking back at it, I don't have a clue why he did that at all if he was just going to ignore me for two weeks." Tonks sighed running her hands through her matted hair.

"You honestly can't work out why he'd do such a thing?" Molly said sounding exasperated.

"Well no, I mean after the last few days he probably won't look at me again for _months_ let alone talk to me, especially because I was curled up to him asleep in the drawing room the other night,"

"Oh Tonks, for goodness sake," Molly sighed "He's guarded because he doesn't think he's good enough for you! Remus is a very secretive and proud man! He's lived all his life under scrutiny from others; he doesn't let anyone in out of fear of rejection, he backs off when things get too real for him. I've seen the way he looks at you, I've only ever seen that once in my lifetime; it's the way that Arthur looks at me, like you are the most precious thing in the world; he would rather die than loose you."

"No Molly," Tonks said shaking her head "No. He doesn't love me, he can't. He thinks I'm too childish for him."

"No he doesn't, he might think you're too young but the two are completely unrelated. That presence you see in his eyes is the side of him that he won't show, the side of him that loves more fiercely than anyone's ever known, and its only you that he shows even the slightest hint of it too." Molly said softly

Tonks regarded Molly for a moment before rubbing her face with her hands and sighing, Molly continued to smile softly at the young woman in front of her. Tonks gazed absent minded at the clock leaning against a pile of washing, she looked at the different hands each with a small name printed on the top. All of her youngest children's were pointing at school where as Arthurs had just moved to travelling.

"Goodness! He'll want food." Molly shrieked jumping up suddenly to run to the stove again; her gaze had obviously followed Tonks' to the clock. The hand moved again to home, and seconds later a red haired man was stomping tiredly through the back door.

"I'm home Molly wobbles," Arthur said smiling tiredly as he looked over at her.

"Arthur, we have _company," _Molly stressed turning as red as her hair. Arthur stopped and turned to see Tonks sitting at his table.

"Wotcher," She grinned

"Tonks! Well this is a nice surprise, though it's nearly one in the morning!"Arthur said showing her his watch.

"It's okay; no work tomorrow. Kingsleys covering for me because I have to see Dumbledore about today," Tonks shrugged

"Today?" Arthur said sitting down in Molly's vacated chair.

Tonks explained to the balding man what had happened the previous evening when she and Emmeline had acted on Dumbledore's orders although she conveniently left out the part about Remus. Molly put a bowl of soup down in front of Arthur as he was saying how lucky Tonks was to be alive.

"Any for you dear?" Molly asked going back to the stove

"No thanks Molly, I really should get home and rest," Tonks said trying to stretch stopping immediately when she felt her back twinge, she bade Arthur a good night, and he grinned at her whilst eating his soup quietly.

"Are you sure you'll be alright in that flat on your own?" Molly said walking to the back door with her.

"I'll be fine," Tonks grinned "Thanks for the tea and sympathy Molly,"

Tonks opened the door and stepped out into the yard, the air was cold and fresh; the kind of air you wouldn't get in London, Tonks took a deep breath of it while she still could before hopping down the steps. She smiled once more at the red haired witch who was waving at her from the door; Tonks had a funny feeling that it this certainly wouldn't be the last time that she went to Molly for tea and sympathy.

* * *

I can't believe I'm late for almost everything,

Tonks thought angrily. She had trouble sleeping when she had got home from the Burrow, she found that she had kept rolling on to her back every so often and woken herself up. This had been repeated in a cycle all night until finally she had rolled on to her front and remained there, catching up on the sleep she had missed. Unfortunately this had meant being late for lunch at her mothers.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Overslept," Tonks said trudging through the back door in her heaviest boots.

"Really Nymphadora, are you a little bit old to be dressed like that now? And your_ hair," _Andromeda said sighing at the sight of her.

"What's wrong with me?" Tonks said looking down at her outfit; she was wearing her favourite Weird Sisters t-shirt with a pair of holey jeans and her combat boots.

"You're dressing like a teenager, when you should be dressing like a young woman! And that hair; I know you can change it at will so why don't you?" Andromeda said rolling her eyes.

"Because I like pink mother," Tonks scowled "I don't get complaints from anyone but you,"

"Mmm," Andromeda mused while turning back to the toast that she had been buttering before her daughters lewd appearance had interrupted her. "You're so like your father,"

"And that's bad?" Tonks said sitting herself at the small table by the window

"No of course it isn't," Andromeda smiled putting a fresh sandwich down in front of her "But sometimes I wish you'd act a little more lady-like is all,"

"Then I wouldn't be me," Tonks smiled before taking a bite out of her sandwich

"Saying that, there's been a change in you lately," Andromeda said softly "You are acting like more of an adult lately even if you don't dress like one."

Tonks looked up at Andromeda and resisted the urge to fling her arms around her, or she would arouse suspicion. Her mother had always had the ability to cheer her up without even knowing about what her daughter was going through, Tonks had always left the finer details out of stories she told her Mother. She could tell her Dad anything she liked because he wouldn't judge and lecture her for hours about it, he was more like her; laid back and willing to help.

Tonks had been thinking for months that she was too childish, especially for Remus who was always so calm and collected and didn't make a fool of himself. But if her mother could see that she'd grown up even a little then she had definitely changed. Tonks could feel her mother watching her for signs of giving away information but she shrugged and carried on eating her sandwich although she was quietly pleased.

It was late in the afternoon when Tonks left her parents house, so late the sun was already beginning to set and the already low temperature was beginning to drop considerably. She knew she was going to be late for her meeting with Dumbledore but her mother had weighed her down with a large container full of stew, saying that she needed to eat properly and was looking rather too skinny lately.

She's beginning to sound like Molly, and now I will be late for Dumbledore.

Tonks thought crossly as she let herself into her small London flat. She saw the state she had left it in a few hours before and sighed; in her rush to get out of there she had knocked over a box of cornflakes which were now strewn all over the counter and floor. She put the heavy container on the side crushing most of the cereal, and bent over to try and pick up the rest. Most of it had landed in a heap but some daring flakes had bounced away to the edge of her sofa, she crawled over to them and began picking them up. Tonks heard her door creak open a fraction and realised she hadn't shut it properly. She instantly dived round the corner of her kitchen counter and drew her wand; she sat hunched listening for more movement that when she had the familiar clunking sound.

"Well I'm glad you paid attention to evasive manoeuvres if not security measures!" Mad-Eye growled somewhere to her right.

"Merlin's beard," Tonks muttered under her breath, she knew she was in for a lecture now.

"Merlin's beard is right girl! Get up! You can explain yourself on the way over to headquarters!"

"Headquarters'? No Mad-Eye, I've got a meeting with Dumbledore," Tonks said pulling herself up by her kitchen counter.

"Change of plans, were having a meeting tonight, it's the only time Dumbledore can get away this week because of that Ministry hag," Mad-Eye grunted.

"Oh, well I was gonna go over there anyway to hang with Sirius for a bit tonight anyway," Tonks shrugged leaving Remus' name out of the mix completely.

"Hang, _hang?_ Merlin's beard girl. Headquarters'' isn't for _hanging!_" Mad-Eye fumed.

Tonks rolled her eyes and prepared for the lecture that was coming; she had gotten so used to hearing lectures from Mad-Eye that she had learned to use them to her advantage. She began throwing most of the spilled cereal into the bin, and putting the stew her Mother had given her in the fridge. Eventually she found herself outside her front door, locking it and placing the protective charms necessary to the door. She was aware that they looked the odd couple as they left her building, many of her neighbours were staring at the girl they frequently saw with spiked pink hair and the shorter man who walked with a limp and had a disgusting green bowler hat draped over one eye, but she didn't care. None of these muggles had any idea what lengths these two people and many of their friends and family were going to ensure they weren't harmed.

Tonks led the way into a small side alley, which she often used to apparate to work. For the moment Mad-Eye fell silent and nodded to her, before turning on the spot and disappearing. Tonks looked around for any sign of movement, before breathing deeply and turning on the spot herself feeling the crushing darkness surround her. When Tonks opened her eyes she found herself standing in the familiar little square just across from Grimmauld Place, she looked to Mad-Eye and grinned at him; he rolled his one good and visible eye to prove that he still wasn't very impressed with her lack of security and Tonks bit back a laugh.

They crossed the square as quietly as possible, and Tonks took out her wand and tapped it to the door quietly, hearing the locks on the other side click seconds later. They door swung open and Mad-Eye limped across the threshold first, Tonks turned to look back at the street before closing the door behind her. She looked around the dingy hallway of Grimmauld Place and sighed as Mad-Eye had already stumped off toward the kitchen thus proving he was still relatively annoyed with her.

"There you are!" A hoarse whisper came from the staircase

She looked at up the figure that was limping down towards her and smiled.

Sirius got to the bottom and hopped towards her as quietly as possible so he wouldn't wake the sleeping portrait of his mother.

"What happened to you?" Tonks asked softly

"Tried to kick Kreacher and missed," Sirius shrugged looking sullen.

"Why would you..." Tonks started but the rest of her sentence was lost, Sirius had pulled her into a hug.

"I was worried about you yesterday," Sirius said softly

"Remus said," Tonks grinned into his shoulder putting her arms around his middle. "I'm sure he told you yesterday I was fine,"

"I nearly lost my mind I thought you'd been killed. Remus used his strength trying to restrain me from marching over to your flat to check on you myself," He said pulling back a little to look at her.

"Oh that's why he looked tired," Tonks laughed lifting her head to look at her cousin.

Sirius grinned and released her leaving one arm draped around her shoulder, he started to walk towards the kitchen taking her with him and Tonks happily let herself be pulled along. She was smiling to herself, knowing that Sirius worried about her that much was touching.

"He arrived home a lot earlier than I thought he would though," Sirius sniggered as they reached the door down to the basement kitchen. Tonks felt her smile fade, and a scowl replaced it which made Sirius laugh heartily this time.

"So why did you try to kick Kreacher?" Tonks asked changing the subject, hoping Sirius would stop teasing her.

"He called Remus a half breed yesterday," Sirius scowled his face becoming as dark as his hair. "He disappeared right after that for a while, and with all the confusion and worry surrounding you I almost forgot I needed to punish him. Found him in the attic caressing a pair of my Mothers knickers just now,"

Tonks knew her expression had just become as dark as Sirius', she had despised Kreacher from almost the same day she had first met him. He was a foul creature, he had been neglected and she supposed Sirius shown hatred for him and this house did not improve the house elf's nature that much but he was still rude and unwelcoming in Tonks opinion.

They descended the stair case, and lavished the warm air and pleasant smell that was coming from the kitchen. Tonks looked curiously at Sirius as he reached out a hand to push open the door.

"Molly's been here for an hour," He grinned at her before entering the kitchen.

Tonks followed and was immediately greeted by the sight of Molly Weasley bustling around the kitchen, laying out the dinner things. Mad-Eye was sat at the far end of the table with Emmeline, Hestia and Kingsley while Bill sat reading that Daily Prophet in front of her.

"Oh hello Tonks dear," Molly beamed "I haven't seen you for a little while!"

Tonks grinned and winked at her, casting her eyes around for the one man she already knew wasn't there.

"Dumbledore's sent him on a little mission," Sirius said noticing her eyeing the room. "Should be back tomorrow,"

"I wasn't looking for Remus," She said loftily and scowled when Sirius smirked. Tonks took a seat opposite Bill, who smiled when he looked up from his paper.

Tonks was left with an empty feeling, she already missed Remus. Where was he? And what could he possibly be doing? Tonks hoped it wasn't anything too dangerous; she didn't want him back in pieces.

* * *

**You guys have NO idea how hard this chapters been for me, I kept moving things around and etc. Then when I was finally happy with it FFNET wouldn't work….so it gave me time to think and re read this, and move stuff around again. But anyway yeah…**

**Please Review? :D THEY WILL MAKE THE NEXT CHAPTER HAPPEN FASTER.**

**Trust me.**

**Lindorie-Chan x**


	16. Chapter 16

You Had Me At Hello

**So yeah chapter 16 is a go :) this makes me as happy as pie. And this one will be extra long I promise you all. And this was supposed to be posted WEEKs ago but I've had technical issues with this PC, and long story short I have a new graphics card so here you are :) **

* * *

Tonks sighed and threw the spoon she had been using into the half empty bowl of cereal in front of her, milk splashed onto the table but she hardly noticed. Her eyes were fixed on the paper in front of her, more specifically on the date under the headline. It had been three weeks since Remus had gone away, he was supposed to only be away for a day but a day had turned into two and so on. Sirius was worried about him, she knew that but he didn't like to show it. And every Order meeting shed been too just lately she found herself asking Dumbledore if he had heard from Remus at all.

She knew Dumbledore had probably figured out why but she didn't care, she missed him and she would like him back in one piece. But the only answer Dumbledore seemed willing to give her was that he had indeed heard from him and he would be back soon when he could get away. Tonks took small comfort in the fact that this answer was not only aggravating her but Sirius also.

She glanced up at the clock on her wall, and grunted she needed a shower or she was going to be late for work again.

* * *

And I really don't need Scrimgeour on my back right now, Tonks thought bitterly.

Tonks walked across the small square as quietly as she could, although she was dragging her feet, although it was a bad habit she had picked up in the last few weeks it had become second nature to her. Tonks sighed to herself, she knew how much of a lecture she would get if her mother could see her now, shoulders slumped, hair matted, wearing ragged torn jeans and an old t-shirt; Tonks would be told it's not how a young lady should dress.

Tonks forced herself up the front steps of Grimmauld Place and tapped the door lightly with her wand, which swung open seconds later. She was greeted by the sight of Sirius hurrying down the hallway toward the basement kitchen; he turned as she stepped over the threshold and closed the door. Sirius turned to face her, he looked sullen and pale.

"Sirius?" She whispered questioningly "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," He said quietly and unconvincingly turning back to the door in front of him.

"Sirius," Tonks hissed quietly walking quickly down the hall way to catch up with him. He stood still with his back to her facing the open door in front of him.

"Remus is back," Sirius muttered quietly not still not looking at her. Tonks felt her stomach flip over, and the corners of her mouth tugged upwards until she smiled.

"Don't look too happy, he's in a bad way." He said finally looking at her, and what she could now feel was a fully joyous expression.

"Bad way...?" Tonks said feeling her stomach drop as her eyes wondered up the stairs.

"He'll live," Sirius said grimly "But it's going to take him a while to get his strength back. They were a little too rough with him." He added darkly

"They?" She said feeling her eyes widen with shock

"Yes, they. Don't get any ideas," He hissed finally following her gaze up the stairs

"What?" She asked trying to feign innocence.

"He doesn't want you up there. So you're going to stay down here out of his way." Sirius said grabbing her by the upper arm and dragging her toward the kitchen.

"Sirius," Tonks started uncertainly

"Don't," Sirius said quietly "He's used to me seeing him in a state, he doesn't want you or anyone else to see him like that."

Tonks felt her face fall again for what felt like the thousandth time in weeks. He didn't want to see her.

"I'll fix him, I promise" Sirius said quietly putting her hands on her shoulders. "You'd better get downstairs; the meetings about to start."

"Sirius," She started again

"I promise, Tonks. Now go" He smiled gently turning her around and giving her a little nudge through the door.

Tonks traipsed down the stairs, towards the kitchen door; she felt Sirius watching her so she knew she couldn't sneak back up the stairs and follow him when he wasn't looking. She opened the kitchen door, to find the room packed already. All the chairs had been taken already so she resigned herself to squeezing in between Bill and Molly who were leaning against the kitchen counter. Tonks felt a mug with a hot substance in being shoved into her hand just as Dumbledore walked in with Snape; she turned to Molly and smiled in thanks.

The meeting was long and tiresome, Tonks could tell so many people disliked and distrusted Snape; it was just their expressions when he was asked to give reports on his findings. Tonks had never been particularly fond of him either, especially when he had asked her in a drawling voice in front of the entire Order why she insisted on having her hair 'that hideous colour'. It was this moment Sirius had chosen to enter, and had offered a snide quip stating that at least Tonks had bothered to wash her hair. She and most of the Order had found this rather amusing, Dumbledore obviously had not.

After the meeting was over Tonks had remained in her position, watching Dumbledore and Molly who had obviously both walked forwards to lecture Sirius, but in very different ways.

I could slip out now and he wouldn't even notice, Tonks thought. Watching Sirius as a sulky expression was slowly appearing on his face. Truthfully her mind had been on Remus all throughout the meeting; she had thought that after almost a month of being away he would want to see her, she thought they had become close or good friends at least.

Tonks moved around the table quietly, and positioned herself to walk out of the room at the same time as Kinglsey and Emmeline. She slipped out unnoticed by Sirius, and followed them up the stairs to the hallway. As Kingsley was pulling on his cloak, Tonks' eyes travelled up the stairs for a second time that night.

"Do you want to come with us, Tonks?" Emmeline said kindly

"Sorry?" Tonks said wrenching her gaze away to look at her

"I said, do you want to come with us? Kingsley and I are going to Diagon Alley for a drink," Emmeline smiled

"Oh," Tonks said slightly taken aback "I said I'd pop to my mother's tonight; maybe some other time."

"Fair enough," Kingsley said quietly "I'll see you at work tomorrow,"

Tonks breathed deeply when they had both left, she walked to the bottom of the stairs and looked up at the haughty first landing. She found her feet started working before her brain; before she knew what she was doing she was standing feet away from Remus' room, whose door was ajar.

Tonks walked across the landing, her breath catching in her throat a little and her heart beating fast. She pushed open the door properly, and gasped when she saw him. Remus was in a worse state than she had expected; he was shirtless, with deep cuts across his face and neck, his hair was matted to his face at the front covered in blood, there were several deep gashes along his forearms and chest.

"You shouldn't be up here," He growled glancing up at her before looking away

"And you shouldn't be doing that by yourself," She said watching as he tried to clean a wound on his back that he was obviously incapable of reaching.

"I can manage just fine on my own thank you. I don't need to be babied, I'm a grown man."

"Remus,"

"Go away Nymphadora," He snapped harshly looking at her properly for the first time.

The words stung much more than she thought they would, she felt her eyes fill with tears as her stomach dropped. Tonks felt as if her insides had been scrunched up and then released several times, the pain was becoming unbearable so she turned to leave.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say...Don't," He said trying to push himself off the bed

"Don't, you'll hurt yourself," She sniffed stepping over the threshold and walking toward him.

Remus made an exasperated sound and growled a little as he sat back down running his hand through his matted hair, keeping his gaze focused on the floor; he didn't seem to want to look at her. Tonks' eyes travelled over him taking in everything, from the thick stubble he seemed to have acquired over the weeks he had been away; to the scars that were marking his young body making it look older than it was and to the new deep gashes that sat there untreated.

"Why hasn't Sirius healed these with magic?" Tonks whimpered quietly

"He tried," Remus croaked hoarsely "These are cursed wounds like the many others I've had. You have to clean and just leave them to heal on their own," he added bitterly.

Remus tried yet again to clean the same wound, instead of succeeding he winced in pain. Tonks sighed inwardly at his stubbornness; she reached across him gently and took the cotton from his hands. She kicked off her boots and swung her legs around onto the bed, she smiled lightly as his questioning look as she crawled behind him.

"Nymphadora," Remus said in what Tonks was sure was supposed to be a polite tone.

"It's Tonks, Remus, for the last bloody time." She scowled at his back.

She dipped the cotton slowly into the warm bowl of water that was on the bed beside him, and hesitated before dabbing the deep scarlet gashes that run from his shoulder blades down to the bottom of his spine. She heard him growl a little, and felt him wince beneath her hand but she didn't stop, he certainly couldn't do this on his own and even if he could she wasn't about to let him. They sat in complete silence as she worked her way down his injuries, replenishing the cotton with water whenever she could.

"Who did this to you?" She asked him quietly

"Werewolves," He growled bitterly "Dumbledore wanted information, a spy if you like and here I was ready made."

"But, why did they do this to you?" She asked feeling a rush of resentment toward Dumbledore for asking him to do such a thing.

"Because I show evidence of having tried to live amongst wizards," His tone settled the matter, he didn't want her to ask any more questions and Tonks was sure she didn't want to know anymore so they lapsed into another silence.

"Nymphadora, sorry, Tonks." He added before she could scold him "I didn't mean to snap at you earlier, I prefer not to have anybody see me like this,"

"Sirius said," Tonks sighed as she finished cleaning out the bottom of the gash "I know you feel you shouldn't let people the difference in you but, maybe you should. It's what makes you, you."

"You sound like Sirius," Remus mused quietly

"Well he has a point," Tonks said curtly throwing the cotton into the bin beside the table and crawling back to sit beside him. "You have alot of people surrounding you Remus, that love and care for you just the way you are. I certainly wouldn't change a thing about you,"

"Not even the lycanthropy," He grunted

"Especially not that," Tonks smiled looking at him. Remus looked up at her with shock gracing his prematurely aged features.

"Why on earth not?" Remus said in a strangled voice.

"Because then you, wouldn't be you. And I quite happen to like you exactly as you are," She said feeling her cheeks flush a little.

"Not one thing?" He asked grinning

"Well," She said inclining her head to one side looking at his face "I like beards, so you could let that stubble grow out properly,"

"All I have to do is grow a beard, and you'd love my appearance completely?" Remus laughed wincing slightly again "Interesting."

"I already love your appearance Remus," Tonks grinned "That would just be a very minor bonus,"

"Hmm," He hummed at her

"Why is that interesting?" She said anxiously

"Well, I find it interesting because the only change you'd make to my appearance Tonks is that of added facial hair," Remus grinned boyishly

"Why? What changes would you make?" She laughed

"If I could change my appearance," He said running a hand over his stubble "I suppose it would be to rid myself of all the scars I seem to have acquired. Then maybe nobody would know so much about my affliction,"

"I like them," Tonks said instantly "They give you character,"

"The character of a man twice my age," Remus said bitterly

"They give you the character of a brave man," Tonks said quietly looking at him "Most people in your place wouldn't cope with it as well as you do,"

She traced a jagged scar on his cheek; it was a familiar shape to Harry's but alot deeper, his eyes fluttered shut at her touch. "With a scar like that, you could be the next boy who lived." She giggled

"More like, the boy who got bit I'm afraid." He sighed with a smile his eyes still shut.

Tonks smiled to herself, he looked serene, almost at peace with himself when he had his eyes closed. She leant forward and kissed his check lightly right in the middle of the scar. His eyes opened immediately staring her straight in the face; he leaned forward resting his forehead against hers gently.

"Thank you Nymphadora," He said gently

"You know, if you aren't careful you'll have more scars then these, worse ones too," Tonks said fighting back a smile

"You would inflict your revenge on me violently?" He laughed

"Keep calling me Nymphadora and you'll find out," Tonks smiled her eyes closed.

"I've missed you,"

Tonks felt Remus' forehead shift lightly against her own and his nose pressed lightly against her cheek. Tonks inhaled sharply and felt her cheeks flush.

"Tonks! Are you up here?" Sirius voice echoed across the landing.

Remus pulled away from her sharply, her eyes flew open and she was left staring at him while he looked away in a different direction. Stomping footsteps came across the threshold and Tonks forced herself to look away from Remus to her cousin.

"I told you not to come up here," Sirius growled looking at Remus

"Its fine, Sirius." Remus said quietly.

"Really...?" Sirius choked out staring at his friend in disbelief.

"Yes." Remus answered curtly.

"Well," Sirius said his eyes travelling over his best friends face to Tonks' flushed one "Isn't this awkward?"

Tonks scowled at him and folded her arms.

"Is there something you wanted Sirius?" Remus sighed from beside her.

"Well seen as Tonks ran off as soon as the meeting was over, Molly and I didn't get chance to ask her anything." Sirius grunted folding his arms."Its Remus' birthday on Thursday; Molly's planning on having a bit of a get together here for it, you interested Tonks?"

"No Sirius, I don't want a fuss," Remus said instantly.

"Tough luck mate, you know what Molly's like." Sirius grinned.

* * *

"You know it's almost a shame you two are leaving in the morning," Sirius hiccoughed.

Molly's plans for Remus' birthday get together had been successful; Molly, Arthur and Bill had all turned up early, the latter leaving work on time for a change to help with the food and decorating. Remus has stood in a corner after being shouted down by Molly about not wanting a fuss; Kinglsey, Mad Eye, Emmeline and Hestia Jones had arrived a little later than Molly had planned but they all sat down for a nice meal together. Half way through desert Dumbledore had dropped in on them all to wish Remus a happy birthday; and to ask him and Tonks to go on a mission together as everyone else was busy. This had secretly pleased Tonks no end.

"We won't be gone long Sirius, a day at most." Remus smiled at his friend who had clearly been drinking too much again.

"A day is still too long!" Sirius grumbled taking a swig of his fire whiskey "Now, where was I?"

"I believe you were just about to get to what you said too Lily," Remus smirked

Ever since the Weasley's and others had left, Sirius had broken out the fire-whiskey and was downing quite a lot of it himself while telling Tonks stories of Remus' previous birthdays at school.

"Oh right yeah, were at Remus' sixteenth birthday party. Going full swing in the common room, Lily stomps up to us, and tells James and in no uncertain terms to turn down the music." Sirius laughs "Because, and this part still gets me sometimes; 'People were trying to study'. I managed to choke out 'Well the only things Prongs is going to be studying tonight Evans is your arse when you walk away,"

"Git," Sniggered Tonks "So then what happened?"

"James refused to speak to him for a week because Lily made it clear she was angry with the pair of them," Remus laughed.

Sirius was laughing himself before that turned into a considerable yawn that Remus saw immediately.

"Perhaps it's time for bed," He suggested

"Come on Moony, Sirius yawned again stretching "It's your birthday,"

"Correct, it is my birthday. But I am rather tired Sirius and we have to get up early in the morning," Remus said

"We used to party all night on your birthdays!" Sirius complained

"When we were 17 and that was you." He laughed "I used to have a fair amount to drink and still manage to crawl into bed at a somewhat respectable hour,"

"And what was a respectable hour?" Tonks laughed

"Between three and four in the morning I suppose," Remus grinned while Tonks and Sirius laughed harder.

"Okay, I agree with you." Sirius stretched "Were getting a bit too old for this up all night drinking lark, unless it's for a good reason," He smirked glancing at Tonks who scowled at him.

All three of them stood, leaving their glasses and bottles on the table. Sirius sauntered out of the kitchen first, followed closely by Remus and Tonks. He was meandering up the stairs humming to himself, and Tonks was in fits of giggles watching Sirius try to manoeuvre his way across the hallway without bumping into anything. Remus sighed smiling and shook his head beside her, and went to help his friend up the stairs.

"Its fine Moony, I can manage the rest of the way on my own," Sirius sulked removing his arm from around Remus' neck at the top of the stairs.

"Are you sure?" Remus called after him as he proceeded across the landing and up the next flight of stairs.

Tonks continued to giggle and lent against the doorframe of the room she was going to be spending the night in; the room she so often slept in when she stayed at Grimmauld Place. Remus turned to face her with a grin, listening to Sirius trying to navigate his way up stairs.

"I'm sorry I didn't get you anything," Tonks blurted out. This had been playing on her mind for a few days, she had wanted to get him something but when it came to the actual buying process she failed. She had no idea what to get him, and so in the end had given up.

"It's perfectly okay," Remus said his smile becoming warmer "The pleasure of your company was all I really needed,"

Tonks grinned at this; it was so like him to be this charming all the time, when she herself would have been rather put out if someone hadn't gotten her something for her birthday. She stepped forward and threw her arms around his shoulders pulling him down towards her into a hug.

"Happy Birthday Remus," She hiccoughed

"Thank you Nymphadora," He laughed into her ear detaching her arms for around his neck "I think you need to lie down before you join Sirius on the floor,"

"How on earth do you know he's on the floor?" Tonks said grinning

"I didn't hear a door being opened or shut did you?" Remus smiled and Tonks shook her head "Well, then I can safely say he probably used the wall in the hallway to slide down to the floor."

"Should we go and help him?" Tonks yawned looking at the stairs

"No, it's his own fault," Remus laughed

"Ever the gentlemen," Tonks sniggered looking down, he was still holding her wrists, she felt the familiar swooping sensation in her stomach and her cheeks redden. Remus had now looked down also and he released her wrists instantly.

"Goodnight Nymphadora," He said pleasantly before walking into his room and closing the door with a snap.

Tonks sighed and retreated into her own room, they hadn't talked about what had happened a few days previously, every time she got close to approaching it he'd change the subject. Things were normal between them, as normal as they had ever been but he would be over friendly with her one minute and then distant the next. Never in her life had she dreamt that Remus Lupin would be such a confusing man.

* * *

Rain was pounding to the ground, the drops felt more like hail stones than actual rain drops. She and Remus were fighting to see where they were going as the wind howled and yet more water was sent their way. Tonks heard Remus shout something but the how of the wind and rain drowned it out. She felt a tug on her wrist, and suddenly she felt warmth and the sound of her hearing return to her. Tonks wiped the excess water out of her eyes and look around at her surroundings, she was in a small alcove of a doorway and Remus was standing in front of her as drenched as she was talking to a small man behind a desk.

She walked forward dripping all over the hardwood floor underneath her, her footsteps echoing off the walls.

"That's fine then, thank you." The tiny man squeaked giving Remus a key.

"Remus, what are you doing?" She hissed in an undertone.

"Thank you!" Remus said to the man who was giving Tonks enquiring looks. Remus gestured to the stairs, and she followed him wordlessly. They reached a narrow hallway at the top with doors lining either side of it. Tonks trudged along behind him, still dripping water everywhere until he stopped outside room four.

He turned the key in the lock and stepped aside to let her in first. She stepped over the threshold, closely followed by Remus who shut the door instantly locking it magically rather than with the key. He protected the room further with sound proofing enhancements, while Tonks waited patiently for him to finish. When he had, he turned to face her.

"Why the hell are we in here?" She demanded.

"Malfoy and Travers spotted us." Remus said "If we would have stayed there, they would have killed us both,"

"We could have taken them," Tonks grunted folding her arms

"I'm not doubting that we could have Nymphadora," the corners of his mouth tugging upwards "But we were under strict instructions from Dumbledore to observe and not draw attention to ourselves,"

"I suppose," Tonks sighed "That doesn't explain why we're here though,"

"Well I certainly wasn't going to attempt apparating in that storm, were you?" Remus asked

"True," She said "Looks like we're here for the night then."

Tonks took her wand out of her pocket, and did an instant warming charm; she felt the heat flow through her, her clothes drying instantly and her hair feeling less sodden and lifeless. When she looked over at Remus he had done the same, his hair was no longer plastered to his face and his jumper was no longer stuck to him. She kicked off her boots, and took off her jacket leaving her in just her jeans and favourite Weird Sisters T-shirt. Remus took off his shoes but made no attempt to remove his jumper on any of the rest of his clothing.

Tonks yawned and got into the bed in front of her, she snuggled down between the duvet and the sheets loving the warm feeling it was giving her. When she poked her head out she saw Remus investigating a nearby chair.

"Don't even think about it," Tonks said to him

"It would be improper for me to sleep in the same bed as you Nymphadora," He said pointedly

"Stop being such a bloody gentlemen Remus and get in the bed." Tonks grunted her face half obscured by the soft pillow.

She vaguely registered him climbing in beside her before she felt sleep overwhelm her.

Tonks refused to open her eyes, her head was still laying on something remarkably soft, and she rubbed the side of her head up and down on it a couple of times. Although this surface was soft, it was not the pillow on which shed fallen asleep unless it had changed textures over night. Tonks wasn't really inclined to care, she was more inclined in fact to go back to sleep.

"You know Nymphadora; I learned two things about you last night." Remus soft voice wondered to her ears, he sounded alot closer to her than she had originally thought he would be in this state.

"Tonks, Remus. It's Tonks." She muttered sleepily into the soft surface. "And, what?"

"Well the first is you snore like a drunken sailor," He laughed softly "And the second is, you seem to take up alot of space for such a small woman. I believe the correct term, is a bed hogger."

Tonks eyes opened a little, the room around her was a little a fuzzy so instead she looked blearily down at the softness she was laying on. Her pillow had not only changed textures but colours over night; green was not a good colour for a pillow. Tonks turned her head slowly and saw the gaping space behind her, the other side of the bed seemed feet away, and she suddenly realised on what her head was resting. She looked back to the green of Remus' jumper and then adjusted her head to look at his face.

"Good morning," He chuckled

Tonks sat up instantly backing away from him until she was sitting in the middle of the bed. "I'm sorry Remus. I didn't mean too,"

"It's fine Tonks,"

"No I mean, I shouldn't have," Tonks kept muttering as though she hadn't heard a word "You're right, I take up alot of space. You wouldn't believe the amount of times I've actually fallen out of my bed..."

Tonks felt hands press on her shoulders and then she was being gently shaken. "Nymphadora, I find it completely charming that you were asleep on me." He smiled at her not removing his hands from her shoulders.

Tonks felt her cheeks flush and she smiled back. She watched him as his eyes travelled over her, from her shoulders across her face, where she was sure she had an imprint of his jumper on her right cheek; they settled on her eyes for a second before they flicked to her hair.

His right hand left her shoulder; Tonks felt his fingers weave into the front strands of her hair. "Is this your natural colour?" He asked with a fond smile.

"What?" She asked as her own hand flew to the same strands of hair. She down looked down at the murky brown and sighed. "Oh, yeah. Horrible isn't it?"

"Not at all; you look even more beautiful." Remus said quietly his own cheeks flushing a little. Tonks breath caught in her throat, so much that she almost chocked. "Not that the pink doesn't make you look adorable, but the brown gives you more of a natural glow."

Remus hand found hers which she realised still had not left her hair. Tonks' breathing increased, her heart started skipping beats every so often, and she took her hand away immediately letting it fall into her lap. Remus hand continued to work its way further into her hand, instead of looking at her he was watching is progress through her shoulder length locks.

Tonks felt her eyes flutter slightly at his touch but she didn't dare close them, she really didn't want to miss this and wake to find it had been a dream. Remus' hand had come to a stop in the crook of her neck just underneath her hair line, and there it stayed; he made no attempt to remove it. Tonks found herself staring at him; he looked at her fully this time. There was a slight pressure building in her neck, and she found herself being pulled slowly toward him, she went willingly and gladly. Remus had closed his eyes now, and Tonks too let her eyes fall shut for the second time in a week she felt his nose press against her cheek. Tonks stomach flipped over as she could feel him getting closer to her, everything in the room was in eerie silence; it was almost like her surroundings were waiting with baited breath.

Two sharp echoing taps ruined the silence, both Tonks and Remus jumped apart like shrapnel breathing heavily. Remus regained composure first and shuffled off the bed, to the window where a screech owl was sitting. He opened the window, and the owl held out its leg allowing him to untie the message before flying off again.

Remus read it, sighing slightly and shaking his head after.

"What is it?" Tonks asked nervously.

Remus looked up at her as though he just realised she was there, he handed the note to her before going to the chair he'd slung their cloaks over the previous night.

_Dear Lovebirds,_

_Dumbledore's just arrived and he wants your report, he says he's' only got an hour before he needs to get back to the school. _

_So stop shagging and get back here!_

_Sirius._

I'm going to punch him, Tonks thought.

* * *

Dumbledore had been silent all throughout their meeting, he had surmised the same as Remus and Tonks that Malfoy and Travers had been trying to add more allies to their cause. Remus and Tonks had tailed them as part of Dumbledore's instructions the previous night, they had led the pair to a small village on the south coast; into a village pub where they had met with, what Molly Weasley would call a couple of 'shady characters'. Malfoy had spotted Tonks as they had tried to leave the pub discreetly after about an hour and gave chase, she and Remus had only managed to get away using cover of the storm they happened to find outside. Dumbledore it turned out was happy with their efforts and thanked them as he left Headquarters after lunch. Sirius had then insisted that Tonks stay for the rest of the day, which had not only been awkward for her and Remus but had given Sirius immense joy.

"So, you two shared a room. I want the details!" Sirius exclaimed loudly for what felt like the hundredth time that day. All of them were in the basement kitchen of Grimmauld Place, Remus and Tonks sitting at the hard wooden table staring in opposite directions; while Sirius leaned against the counter with a smug expression. The only thing about this Tonks was thankful for was that he had waited until Kingsley and Mad-Eye had left.

"There are no details Sirius," Remus said politely looking into his empty tea mug. "We went to sleep,"

"Come on Remus, you can't be boring for the rest of your life! Why didn't you do something?" Sirius chuckled

"Would you stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Tonks said through gritted teeth.

"I could ask you the questions if you like?" Sirius teased her

"Enough," Remus said quietly and Sirius face fell, he knew it was over.

"Whatever you say my dear Moony," Sirius shrugged and putting his own cup down on the side. "I need to get rid of this old writing desk it's infested with Doxy's,"

"Why not just get rid of the Doxy's?" Tonks asked

"Because I hate that desk," Sirius scowled "It was my fathers, and this is the perfect excuse to get rid of it." He looked at Remus who was still watching his mug with great interest. "Remus, are you going to help me?"

"Hmm?" He said looking up.

"Did I rouse you from your brilliant thoughts?" Sirius smirked

"Yes you did, but I suppose I could help you," He grinned

"And you my lovely cousin?" He asked turning to Tonks

"No way," Tonks shook her head "I need a shower and my bed; back to work tomorrow,"

All three of them trooped out of the kitchen, up the stairs into the hallway. Sirius carried on up the stairs after saying his goodbyes to Tonks. She swung on her cloak with her back facing Remus, who hadn't moved all the while listening to Sirius footsteps die away as he retreated further into the house. Neither of them had spoken about that morning, they hadn't had the chance all day; Sirius had been constantly in their presence.

Not that he would want to talk about it, Tonks thought before sighing. But she needed to know, they had become close, too close. And now it was two times too many that something had almost happened.

"Remus, about this morning," Tonks said turning around to face him.

Tonks barely registered what was happening to her, Remus grabbed her and pressed his lips against hers; he walked her back, until she was against the door. She was in a state of shock; she had only vaguely felt her back slam against the door, her heart started to beat faster at the tingling sensation that shot through her stomach and settled somewhere around her navel. She reached up and locked her arms around his neck, pulling herself against him properly; his arms encircled her waist and he kissed her harder. To her this was like blissful oblivion.

"Remus!" Sirius bellowed from somewhere upstairs.

Remus pulled away, his arms still around her waist; his body still pressed against hers. His forehead rested against Tonks'.

"I could kill him," Remus muttered

"There wouldn't be so many interruptions if you did," Tonks giggled

His eyes settled on hers for a minute before they both looked down and seemed to come to themselves a little. They let go of each other instantly and looked in opposite directions.

"I should," Remus gestured up the stairs

"Yeah, I should," Tonks said glancing at the door behind her before looking at him once more.

She turned to leave, and was this time disappointed when he didn't stop her. Tonks found herself in the little square before she had realised she had left the house completely; she turned and looked back at the dingy house before turning on the spot.

The fresh air hit her so hard, she felt herself stumble a little before regaining her senses; she had forgotten how fresh the air was here. Tonks hoped over the fence and made her way toward the house that towered above her. She knocked sharply on the back door a few times and waited.

A red haired woman answered, she looked a little frazzled but her expression softened instantly when she saw Tonks'.

"Molly," She sighed

The red haired woman smiled, and stepped aside to let her in.

* * *

**I promised you a long chapter and there it is. Its taken me ages today to write certain parts, and edit bits but Im finally happy with it. And now I know I can carry on because I have not for once written myself into a corner I dont know how to get out of. **

**Please Review? **

**Lindore-Chan x  
**


End file.
